


SSV:  The Raven

by GhostWritersInTheSky



Series: Smelly Super Villains [1]
Category: Smelly super villains
Genre: Action, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Community: bdsm_fandom, Crossdressing Kink, Emotional Hurt, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, F/M, Femdom, Foot Fetish, Gun Violence, Heavy BDSM, Magic-Users, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:02:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 69,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27606005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostWritersInTheSky/pseuds/GhostWritersInTheSky
Summary: After the events of The Tower, our heroes lives take a turn for the dark.  Watch as Jake Blackridge, the former hero Birdboy, delves into his new life amongst the court of the Goth Goddess.  His servitude comes at the cost of his friendship with Beth who begins a quest for vengeance as she forsakes her mantle as Catgirl in favor of something darker and more sinister.
Relationships: Jake Blackridge/Goth Goddess
Series: Smelly Super Villains [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2018312





	1. Death of the Cat

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, so this is a little novella style sequel to Bad Influence's interactive Smelly Super Villains set after the events of The Tower in which Jake finally submits to Goth. I'll post the link to that story branch for context if anyone is interested at the end of these notes. I began collaborating with him a few weeks ago on this little project, and it began to turn into something both dark and beautiful that will span over quite a few original arcs. This story does have examples of: Extreme Violence, BDSM, an abusive relationship i.e. an unhealthy BDSM style relationship, and references to a few other fetishes in it.
> 
> If you're willing to give it a go and brave the length of each chapter, I think you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised by the end of it. We are already working on the second novella that comes after this, so in a few weeks we should have that posted as well. I'm trying to go through and proofread these chapters for any typos that may have occurred while I was still working off of my phone, but I'll go ahead and post the first chapter for you all.
> 
> Here is the link to The Tower in the SSV interactive if anyone is wanting context on the story or characters:  
> https://www.writing.com/main/redirect?htime=1605634758&hkey=edf24a9a62d7819a724ba655ebdcac2d5ebe89d4&redirect_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.writing.com%2Fmain%2Finteractive-story%2Fitem_id%2F1934117-Smelly-super-villains%2Fmap%2F1333322222222131

Jake took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as the pain of multiple tattooing needles piercing his skin radiated throughout his body, causing him a not insignificant amount of discomfort. Goth had commandeered the entire staff of one of Citiville’s tattoo shops to work on him today, and his session wasn’t anywhere close to being over. Seven artists all worked on him at once, one on each arm, one on each leg, one working on his chest, another on his ribs, and the final one working on Jake’s abs. Goth had told him that she wanted him to look the part of her Raven now that he officially was hers, and that the symbols and runes she’d picked out would help protect him as he fulfilled her wishes. Jake didn’t know if any of that was actually true, but he also wasn’t one to ask questions of his Goddess either, not anymore. After his front side was finished, they flipped him over and began to work on the back and shoulders, covering Jake’s body with a variety of runes and symbols, along with several verses of scripture about Goth, and finally, across his chest, the words “God Is She” in Goth’s own handwriting. Jake examined himself in the mirror; he certainly looked strange, but if The Goddess thought he looked better like this, he wasn’t going to argue. Plus, Jake wasn’t dumb. He knew this was a way for Goth to mark her territory, and he didn’t mind it. He belonged to her now, and he had accepted that. It had been about a month since he handed himself over to Goth, and accepted his place as the Raven. His first month admittedly hadn’t been awful, he was starting to get used to various odors of his perpetually unwashed girlfriend, and despite her feet being absolutely revolting, Jake was finally able to indulge in his long repressed foot fetish. Sex took a lot of getting used to- Goth was a rough, viscious lover to say the least, and her ideas of intimacy often included various forms of hard BDSM- but ultimately, Jake felt like he belonged here, as if he was serving a higher purpose. 

As Jake finished checking himself out in the mirror, his girlfriend crept up behind him and pulled him close to her, wrapping a hand around his throat as she looked at their reflection, practically licking her lips as she lightly choked her prized possession. “My Raven, you look absolutely delightful like this. If I didn’t have something for you to do for me, I’d have you bent over a table right now…” she kissed and nipped at his neck, and Jake gave a soft moan as she did. He turned to her and stood on his tiptoes to give her a kiss on the lips, before craning his neck upwards for her, so that she could wrap his collar around his neck. Goth giggled and tugged on his collar, before taking hold of the leash and leading Jake through her castle-like church, and back towards their private quarters. Many of Goth’s other worshipers, slaves, and students' eyes watched the two as they passed, many looking on with silent envy of Jake’s position. 

Jake knelt down as Goth took a seat on their bed, and ran a hand through his hair. “My Raven, one of the alarms went off in one of my warehouses by the docks. I’m sure whatever it is, you’ll have no trouble dealing with it. Come back to me with the cause, and I’ll ensure you’re handsomely rewarded, handsome…” She giggled again and gave her Raven permission to stand, and he leaned down to kiss her boots before he did so. Just like that, Jake was suited up as The Raven, and off on another patrol for Goth.

Goth’s magic meant she was able to teleport Jake practically anywhere in the city within seconds, and this time was no different. On a quick lap around the outside, Jake discovered a broken window most likely being the cause. It was winter in Citiville, and this pointed towards a squatter. It would be an easy fix, just kick the invader out, and he could be back with his Goddess quickly. 

Unfortunately, as Jake found out upon entering, it wasn’t going to be that simple. He found the squatter rather quickly, but the person turned out to be the hero formerly known as The Dart, albeit much much worse for wear than when Jake had known them. She was rail thin, and she shook as she looked up at Jake, dressed in black and purple as The Raven. Goth had been keeping Dart prisoner since The Tower, but about two days ago, she had managed to escape. Finding her had been priority #1, and Jake just did. 

“B-BirdBoy, please… you have to help me… Goth’s gonna kill me when she finds me… or worse…” 

Jake sighed, and shook his head. “Dart, I have to take you back…” Dart grabbed hold of Jake, and began to beg with a desperate look in her eyes. “BirdBoy, this isn’t you, I know the real you is still in there somewhere! You have to fight her control! She’s got you brainwashed! Goth is evil!” Jake reached into his pocket and produced one of Goth’s nastier looking socks. One could practically see the stench lines floating off the nasty, crusty fabric, and Dart tried to plead with him further. “Please! Don’t do this!” Jake took a deep breath and averted his eyes, as he forced the sock onto Dart’s nose and mouth, and waited until the stench caused her to go limp. Jake felt his heart drop in his chest a bit as he felt the last kicks of his former ally slowly stop beneath him, as she fell unconcious. Jake hauled the hero over his shoulder, before fingering his recall button on his suit. Part of him didn’t want to press it. Part of him wanted to go hide Dart back in that wearhouse, and lie to Goth that it was just a vagrant he kicked out… but ultimately, his loyalty to his Goddess won out. Jake pressed the recall button and was teleported back to the church.

Jake returned to the church in a brilliant flash. He stood in the main hall of the church with Dart's unconscious form still hoisted on his shoulder. He spared a glance around the room and took note of the many surprised and pleased faces he received. He felt a rush of pride well up within him as he approached his Goddess with his prize. He gently laid the broken hero down at her feet and knelt in front of her.

"Such a good boy," Goth praised and he felt his chest swell, "Not only did you quell the commotion at the docks, you've managed to retrieve our guest. Aurora, take her and show her what happens when you disobey the will of the Goddess."

Aurora stepped forward with a sadistic smirk on her face. Jake suppressed a shudder as the cruel woman neared him. He'd never like Aurora, she was by far more twisted than his Goddess. He'd spent many nights laying awake in fear after overhearing the ideas that Aurora suggested to Goth for new ways to 'play with him. 

Aurora knelt down in front of Dart and her eyes began to glow an eery purple as she commanded, "Awaken!"

Dart snapped out of her stench induced slumber and looked around. Panic began to course through her as she quickly realized where she was. Goth could sense it and drank it in eagerly. Dart looked to the malicious grin that Aurora wore and began to crawl away while pleading, "No, no, no please, please I'm sorry! Someone, anyone help me!"

Aurora clamped a strong hand on the girl's calf, successfully halting her escape. She hauled her frail form up and taunted her, "No one is coming to help you, little worm. Your own friend brought you back to us and now I'm going to show you just how sorry you really are."

Aurora roughly threw her over her shoulder, making sure to apply additional pressure. Jake swore he heard a crack followed by a pained scream from Dart. He felt a pang of regret as Aurora departed with Dart and her screams echoed throughout the room, "Please for the love of God no! Not again!"

Jake slammed his eyes shut to block out the feelings of regret that welled up within him. He reminded himself that he was serving a higher purpose and that the will of his Goddess came first. He let out a shaky breath as the screaming pleas for mercy faded. This new life wasn't always easy, but it was for the best. At least that's what he told himself.

The voice of his Goddess shook the thoughts from his head, "You seem troubled, my Raven. Tell me, does this bother you? Speak."

He looked up to her and replied, "No my Goddess I live to serve your will. Dart chose her fate when she made her escape, and now she must face the consequences."

Goth knew that he was troubled, but his response was pleasing and proof of his progress. At times she still doubted his loyalty, but he did return his former friend. She decided not to press him for now and instead focus on his next task. "How right you are, my love," she said, "Let her suffering be a reminder to all those who choose to oppose my rule. Now, on to more pressing matters. It is that time once again, I need you to go and collect my tribute. There are some who think that they are above my tithe, and I want you to show them what happens when they defy their Goddess."

He nodded and understood the silent cue to rise. He planted a kiss to her boots before rising and nodded his affirmation, "As you wish, my Goddess, your will shall be carried out," he said.

This was nothing new for him, and he knew that Pamela held the list of places for him to visit. She stood in the chamber with the rest of Goth's chosen and he crossed the room to her. The two never really exchanged words, and this time was no different. She offered him the list and he accepted it with an appreciative nod. He exited the chapel and released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. 

It was time for him to once again be the instrument of his Goddess's will. He was, admittedly, good at his job and some part of him enjoyed it. He wasn't sure if it was because it gave him a chance to stretch his legs again or because he was serving Goth, but he was thankful for this freedom. He pulled out a grappling gun and fired it at a nearby rooftop before retracting it and soaring through the air.

Unbeknownst to him, this freedom couldn't have been farther from the truth. He believed that the runes he'd been graced with were simple markings of her territory, but in truth they were ways for Goth to control him further. Many were there simply to induce increased pain or pleasure depending on her mood, but another combination were Watcher's runes. With these there was nowhere he could go and nothing he could do that she couldn't see. She watched from her throne as her pet began his work.

Jake hit a small shop first. The man who owned the place didn't seem to want any trouble and quickly produced a large sum. He'd never counted the money before, but he knew the price of protection was steep. In truth, he knew that better than any of these men and women could ever understand. His next stop was a shady establishment ran by a local sect of what used to be mafia of sorts.

He banged on the door and was greeted with a kind, "Fuck off!"

He scowled and kicked the door in. A series of guns were pointed at him along with several threatening stares. It wasn't long before the men lowered their guns once they realized who had entered their establishment. "I'm here for your contribution," he said as he looked around the room.

One of the men stood and holstered his pistol, "Keep your guns down you idiots," the man said as he stepped forward with his offering, "This is the Goddess's personal enforcer and we don't want any trouble. Forgive our carelessness, sir, and please give our Goddess our warmest regards."

Jake accepted the offering and merely nodded as he departed. He left the place and shut the door behind him. So far, so good; it seemed that more and more people were beginning to understand the path to peace. He checked his list and took note of his next destination, a pawn shop that had been refusing to pay their tribute. He would have to show them just what happened when people defied the new order.

A silent figure stalked the rooftops as Jake soared into the darkness that was this cesspool of a city. Beth watched him from a distance as he made his rounds; she'd been worrying about him as of late and wanted to check on him. Some part of her felt a rush of fear come over her upon entering Citiville, but she pushed it down in favor of her friendship. She was quick to take off in chase so as not to lose sight of her former teammate.

She tailed him for a few miles before coming to a stop on a rooftop overlooking a rundown pawnshop. She activated her night vision to get a better view of the scene that was about to unfold. She watched as Jake entered into the building before exiting while dragging an older man out with him. She wasn't prepared for what came next as Jake proceeded to begin pummeling the elderly man. The man quickly fell to the ground, but was dragged back to his feet as Jake continued beating him. The man fell once more clearly pleading with him for mercy, but Jake didn't seem to care. She watched as he pointed a finger at the old man in a threatening gesture before taking his leave.

This was worse than she thought. Clearly Goth had gotten into his head if he was willing to beat on an old man. She swallowed her anger and reminded herself that she was just here to observe. The important thing was that Jake was alright, well to an extent anyways. She shook the thoughts away as she began once more trailing after her friend.

The next few stops were more of the same. Again and again Jake issued beating after beating. Sometimes the people would try to fight back, but she knew they were no match for him in hand to hand combat. Other times they would offer some money and others he beat them into unconsciousness. With each beating she witnessed she felt herself become more and more heated.

It was when Jake pulled a man out into an alleyway and a young woman came out to plead that she couldn't take it anymore. Jake looked as though he were about to strike the woman, so she abandoned her hiding spot and dropped in front of them. Her eyes held all of her anger as she stared her friend down. She turned back to the couple and said, "Go, run, just get out of here."

They didn't argue and quickly rushed back inside before locking the door behind them. Jake stared at her with wide eyes hidden behind his cowl and struggled to find the will to speak. "Beth," he started, "You shouldn't be here."

Beth looked at him sideways for a moment before bursting into a tirade, "I shouldn't be here?! That's all you have to say to me?! What the hell are you doing Jake?!"

Jake avoided her eyes, he knew when she got like this there wasn't any reasoning with her. "I'm carrying out the will of my Goddess," he said simply.

Beth balked at his response, "The will of-" she started before shaking her head and practically yelling, "You have got to be kidding me! What has that bitch done to you?!"

Jake looked up with a fierce glare. He wouldn't let anyone disrespect his love, not even Beth. Feeling a bit of fire well up in him he spat back, "Goth has given me new purpose! She hasn't done anything to me aside from care for me. She's a kind and benevolent Goddess and if you'd get your head out of your ass you might see that!"

"You're serious?" Beth asked in disbelief, "She has you shaking down shop keeps and civilians for protection money!"

Jake clenched his fists as he replied, "These people are just paying the tithe for her wisdom. Those that refuse to pay have to learn the cost of testing her will."

"And those people back there?" she asked, "They were just a couple of innocents! She is using you, Jake!"

He looked away as some part of him began to stir. Some part of him knew Beth was right, but he couldn't and wouldn't go against Goth. "You don't know what you're talking about," he finally said, "She's enlightened me and is kind enough to let me carry out these duties on my own. She trusts me."

"You're fucking delusional," she bit back.

"Look around you Beth," he said, "This city is crime free and it's all because of her!"

"Because she is extorting criminals and citizens alike!" she fired back, "There's no crime because the biggest villain here is in complete control!"

"She's not a villain, she's a Goddess," he said, "I think you should go."

Beth softened at that, "Jake I'm worried about you," she said, "This isn't you."

"I am the Raven," he said, "Leave now or face the consequences."

"You'd actually fight me?" she asked hurt seeping into her voice, "Jake, I'm your friend."

He raised a hand and pointed to the exit to the alleyway before saying, "Go."

Beth closed her eyes and fought back the tears that welled up. He was serious and she knew it. She didn't say another word and turned on her heel to leave. Jake watched her leave and sighed before continuing on his path.

What the two didn't realize, was that their little exchange had been carefully observed by Goth. She sat at her throne and quietly seethed with rage. Beth had broken the terms of their deal and needed to be brought in for punishment. She had expected her pet to know this and to carry it out. She would deal with him upon his return, and show him just what happens when he fails to anticipate.

She turned to Pamela who sat beside her leisurely reading from her scripture. "Pamela," Goth said, "We have an uninvited guest in our city that my Raven failed to apprehend. Elizabeth has dared to set foot into our sanctum, and I want you to retrieve her and bring her to me. Take some of our thralllls and some goons, but bring her to me."

Pamela closed her book and stood before bowing, "Your will be done, my Goddess," she said before departing.

Goth watched her as she left before turning to Aurora, "I believe you had some creative ideas for my Raven did you not?" she asked her friend.

Aurora stepped forward with a wicked grin as she replied, "So you're finally willing to take my advice? Good, I have a few ideas that I think would teach that worm his place."

Goth glared at her as she said, "Hold your tongue, he is still my Raven. He simply needs to be reminded of the consequences of failing his Goddess."

Aurora's grin faded and she quickly amended, "Forgive me, my Goddess, I simply have disdain for the heroic type. You are correct, as always, that he needs a reminder of his place among us and at your feet."

Goth nodded her acceptance of Aurora's apology. She knew her friend wasn't Jake's biggest fan and that she failed to hide it, but she did at least make an effort. "In lou of our friendship I will forgive your words against my Raven," she said, "Now, let's discuss these ideas of yours."

Aurora's grin returned as she said, "As you wish, my Goddess, it starts with…"

Pamela was on her way to the outskirts of the city with a gaggle of goons and slaves at her beckoning. She had long hoped for the chance to capture Elizabeth and issue some much needed payback. The opportunity was two fold as it also gave the chance to earn the favor of the Goddess. She would show her that she was more deserving than her pet. A sadistic grin graced her features as she thought of the sheer pain that would soon fall upon Jake for his shortcomings. The simple thought was delicious and she relished the image that stirred in her mind.

She pushed the thought aside in an attempt to focus on the task at hand. Tonight would be the night she turned the Cat into her Kitten and gave the little bitch new purpose in life. She spied her prey in the distance and signaled her men to circle out to cut off her escape. She ordered a few of the goons to approach first. She wanted to savor the surprise and shock that would come when her prey discovered her presence.

Beth had parked her motorcycle behind a billboard welcoming people to Citiville. She was more than a little disheartened by her interaction with Jake and more than a little angry. Which is why when she heard the footfalls of armed men approaching she leveled a glare at them. "Tell your Goddess and her pet that I'm leaving and won't return," she said with more than a little venom, "If you're smart, you'll run along and tell her. I've not had a very good night."

One of the men spoke up as he brandished a knife, "You ain't going anywhere girlie, the Goddess wants a word with you."

Beth turned to face the man and cocked her head as she said, "Is that so? Well feel free to tell her to fuck off."

The man lunged at her in an attempt to stab, but Beth was too quick for him. She side stepped his attack and locked her arm around his before bending it in a painful manner. The man howled in pain as the knife fell from his hand with a clatter, his arm now limp and useless. The second man pulled a pistol and opened fire, but she heard the familiar sound of the slide. She flipped to the side to dodge before rushing the man. She unleashed her claws and dug them into his leg before ripping them out. The man let out a yelp before a fierce uppercut struck his jaw sending him upwards and into a crumbling heap.

It felt good to get out some of her aggression, but really all she wanted was to return home and put this night behind her. A familiar and chilling voice caught her attention and her eyes went wide as it spoke, "My, my aren't we quite the little spitfire."

Beth turned her attention to the voice and her anger began to bubble over as she spoke, "Pamela."

"What's the matter, kitten?" she asked as she sauntered out of the shadows, "You seem distraught, did your little meeting really go that poorly?"

Beth felt the urge to lunge at the villain before her, but fought it. Jake may have given up on Metropolis, but she still had a job to do and a city that needed her. She turned to leave and said, "I don't have time for you tonight, and I'm really not in the mood."

Pamela let out a dark chuckle before she spoke, "Oh I think you have plenty of time, kitten, after all you made the time for our Raven. Tell me, how did it feel to learn that he is truly happy serving our Goddess?"

Beth ground her teeth before spitting back, "Fuck you and fuck Goth! You've twisted and broken my friend and I'm leaving."

Pamela smirked as she said, "You're not going anywhere, kitten, and if you think he's been broken just wait until Goth gets ahold of him after your little exchange. That boy should have known not to let you go, but he'll soon learn what happens when you disobey the Goddess."

A million questions ran through Beth's mind, but only one hit the surface: attack. Beth launched into a flurry of slashes at Pamela who easily evaded them. She'd heard that Goth had trained her disciples in hand to hand combat as well as magic, but she had never been sure until now. Pamela was dodging her attacks with ease, and finally issued a powerful kick to her gut that sent her flying backwards. She stood over her as she said, "You heroes are all the same. Your mercy makes you predictable, pathetic, and weak. You're not worth my time, finish her but don't kill her boys. I want her alive for what I have in store."

Pamela walked off as her goons began to appear from the shadows. Beth rose to her feet and mentally took stock of the group encircling her. By her estimation there were about ten armed men each with a malicious look on their faces. She felt a rush of rage run through her as she dropped to a crouch. She would make sure this wasn't a pleasant experience for these men, and then she would deal with Pamela.

As the men approached she dropped a smoke pellet to conceal herself. As some of the men coughed she sprang into action. She made short work of two of the men by taking out their legs and delivering a couple of quick punches to them to knock them out. The smoke began to dissipate as she finished the second one off and she charged the closest one. She caught him in a tackle and dug her claws into his sides as she lifted him up and slammed him to the ground.

The man groaned beneath her, but the sound of metal swinging through the air grabbed her attention. She rolled off of the man as a metal chain slammed down onto his chest. She looked to the chain wielding man and moved to take him out next. She dodged a series of successive swings he had before grabbing the chain and wrapping it around her fist to pull him in for a vicious headbutt. The man fell backwards with an oof and didn't get back up as he covered his now broken nose.

Her goggles had a bit of blood splattered on them and she wiped it away as the sound of gunfire filled the air. She took off in a serpentine motion to evade the gunshots and waited until the resounding click of an empty clip filled the night air. The man was a good distance away, so she pulled out her grappling gun and fired it for his ankles. The wire snagged around his feet and she retracted it pulling him down and straight to her. He cried out as he was drug across the ground and was silenced by her boot connecting with his face.

She snarled at the rest of the men and thoughts of rage filled her mind as she replayed the night's events. Everything from her interaction with Jake to Pamela's mocking created a burning fire within her as she dashed about the field. One of the men carried a hand axe and swung for her once she neared, but she dodged and brutally snapped his arm before silencing his screams with a powerful sucker punch.

Six down, four to go then she could deal with that bitch. She dodged another round of bullets and made for her next target. A broad shouldered man who was trying to line up his shots with her erratic movements, but finding it increasingly difficult. She moved on all fours as she approached and went into a devastating slide to take out his legs. As he fell, she pushed her feet upwards and they connected with his jaw sending him rocketing upwards. He landed with a painful bounce and made no attempt to get back up.

She felt a seeking pain shoot through her shoulder as a bullet pierced her. She cried out in pain, but glared at her attacker. Without thinking, she grabbed the stray pistol from the now unconscious man and opened fire. She kept her aim low, but it seemed effective enough as two men cried out as bullets shattered through their knees. The pair fell to the ground in agony and she tossed the offending firearm to the side.

The pain began to set in and she winced at the sensation shooting through her arm. Distracted, she failed to notice a large man sneak up from behind and grab hold of her. She felt herself forced to the ground and when she tried to resist the man jammed his thumb into the bullet wound. She cried out in pain as she fell to one knee.

Pamela smiled as she approached the now subdued kitten. She had to admit, she was surprised and even mildly impressed with the girl's actions. She was always considered the weaker of the duo, yet here she had taken out a total of eleven of her men. Still, she would fall as all the heroes before her had. Perhaps her Goddess would allow her to keep her as her own pet.

She came to a halt in front of the wounded girl and knelt down with a cruel grin and said, "My but you're a fighter. I'm almost impressed, but you lack conviction in your actions. Let's have a peek in that head of yours, shall we?"

Her eyes began to glow a brilliant violet and she lifted Beth's head to stare into her eyes. Beth closed her eyes in an attempt to ward off the effects of the mind control, but was finding it harder and harder to resist. She hadn't come this far to fall here, had she? She spoke up defiantly, "Stay out of my head you sick bitch!"

Pamela scowled at her demand and grabbed a fistful of her hot pink hair. "It is that disrespectful attitude that has landed you in this exact situation. I can see in your mind and you know you're helpless against me. Would you like to know a secret before I take you home, kitten? You're presence here and your friend's failure to enact the will of our Goddess has sealed his fate. He will suffer, as will you until you each learn your place!"

Beth felt a surge of malice rush through her. She could feel the probing fingers of Pamela on the fringes of her mind, but she didn't feel fear. If Pamela was indeed telling the truth, and she most certainly was, then Jake was in trouble. She wasn't sure what hurt more, the feeling of her mind being invaded or knowing she had doomed her friend. She screamed in rage and defiance as the thoughts overwhelmed her mind.

Pamela felt a sudden pushback from Beth's mind. This shouldn't happen, she was Goth's prized pupil and she was far too strong for something like this. Still, she felt her powers get hurled back at her and she stumbled backwards at the unfamiliar shockwave that hit her. She snarled at Beth and spat, "You little-"

That was all she was able to get out as Beth sank her claws into her stomach. She coughed as the pain hit her and blood ran down her lip. Beth had used the sudden moment of freedom for a final and desperate act of resistance. She threw her head back and knocked the final goon out. She looked over to Pamela who was kneeling looking at her stomach. Her glove had come off when she withdrew her hand because of how deep she had dug her claws in.

Beth didn't waste any time as she stood and ran to her motorcycle. She had to get out of here and fast. She didn't think a simple wound would stop Pamela for long, so she gunned it and hightailed it out of the city. She felt like a coward for running, but she knew she couldn't do anything to save Jake. He'd made it clear that this was his choice and he believed himself right.

Pamela glared as Beth managed to escape her clutches. That little bitch had somehow managed to force her powers back at her and stab her. If she saw the girl again she would pay for her actions. She cursed herself for her failure and Jake for his. If he had only brought her in none of this would have been necessary. She uttered an ancient phrase and became engulfed in a glowing light as she returned to the chapel.

Jake had just teleported back to the chapel. He had appeared in Goth's vault to deposit his collected tribute to his Goddess. He was still a bit shaken from his surprise encounter with Beth. The look and tone she held with him was haunting in its own right. He reminded himself that what he was doing was for the greater good, and that by serving Goth his home was safe from her grasp.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he failed to notice the imposing form of Aurora standing outside the vault. "The prodigal pet returns," she taunted.

He glared at her. Normally she struck fear into him, but tonight was not a normal night. "What do you want Aurora?" he asked as he continued his deposits.

"I just came to see you one last time before Goth gets her hands on you," she said with a shrug, "You really fucked up tonight."

"What are you on about?" he demanded.

Aurora let out a low and menacing laugh at his tone. She approached him and stared down at him as she spoke, "Watch your tone, worm. You may Goth's little pet, but you forget your place. You failed to bring in the cat and Goth isn't too happy with you right now. She's finally decided to take my suggestions to heart."

Jake stared back at her and felt himself shake out of fear. How could she know about Beth? Aurora had to be messing with him, she must have followed him as he made his rounds. Surely Goth wouldn't be that upset with him, at least he hoped she wouldn't be. He tried to steel his voice as he spoke, "Y-you're bluffing. You're just trying to scare me."

Aurora laughed at his stutter and said, "Maybe I am or maybe I'm giving you a warning of what's to come. Know your place and accept it."

With her final words she took her leave. Jake stood, now alone, in the vault and shivered as new thoughts raced through his head. Goth could be extremely cruel when it came to disobedience, but he technically hadn't disobeyed her. He was told to collect tribute and that was what he did; had he been ordered to bring Beth in he would have, at least that's what he told himself.

He exited the vault and made his way back to the chapel where his Goddess and girlfriend sat upon her throne in waiting. He tried to read her eyes, but he couldn't for the life of him discern anything from them. He came to kneel before her and his eyes locked on to her boots. "I have done as you asked, my Goddess," he said.

"You have collected my tithe?" she asked and he nodded, "Let us see just how things went then, shall we?"

He still hated this part, more so tonight than in times past. Goth made a habit of peering into his mind whenever he ran errands, particularly when she felt uncertain of his actions. A sinking feeling began to creep into his stomach as he felt the familiar touch of her powers take root in his mind. He had learned not to resist, for resistance only made the process take longer and hurt more.

The night's events replayed in his mind and Goth took careful note of every detail. She was well aware of what had happened, and this was merely a formality to keep her Raven in blissful ignorance of his new markings. She came to the scene she was searching for between Jake and Beth when he let her go. She decided to end it there and activated one of his new tattoos with a wave of her hand.

A sudden burning sensation shot through Jake as Goth spoke, "What is the meaning of this? You failed to bring me your sidekick!"

Jake fought back the pain as hard as he could and replied, "I was doing as you wished, my Goddess, apprehending her wasn't part of your orders!"

Goth rose from her throne to her full height and glared down at her pet as she spoke, "Your orders were to collect tribute to your Goddess. What better tribute than to bring me that little bitch?"

Jake was beginning to find it hard to concentrate as the burning continued to worsen. "She wasn't a threat to you!" he cried out more from pain than anger, "She said she wouldn't return. She tried to sway me from your will, but I remain by your side!"

"Such insolent ignorance," Goth said as anger welled up inside of her, "If she wasn't a threat then why is Pamela being treated by Dilatrix? You failed to anticipate the threat she posed and now one of our own is wounded, but what's worse is you failed to anticipate the need of your Goddess."

Jake couldn't believe what was happening, Aurora had been telling the truth. This would not bode well for him and he began to beg, "Please forgive me, I didn't know she would attack Pamela! Had I known that I would have brought her to you!"

"You should have known this would happen, but you will know for next time," she said coldly, "Come, my Raven, let us take some time together so that I may show you what happens when you fail your Goddess."

Jake wanted to protest, but knew better and kept his mouth shut as he felt the leash clip onto his collar. His breathing quickened as he was led down to the lower halls of the chapel. They passed Aurora who was grinning from ear to ear. She was delighted by the suffering that he was about to endure and he hadn't been so afraid since that night back in the tower.

The two descended the steps below and entered into a familiar chamber. Jake had been down here various times for Goth's unique sexual activities. He spied the familiar strap-ons and candles that she enjoyed using along with various other objects of her affection. He was to a stockade where Goth roughly forced him in and sealed it. He watched as she crossed the room to retrieve a familiar and dreadful tool. The bull whip from their first encounter dangled from her hands as she walked behind him. He could still see the blood from his first encounter on the damned thing.

The sound of her heels hitting the floor echoed throughout the room and filled him with fear. Normally, she would offer some kind words before they played as she called it, but this wasn't the case this time. He knew what was to come and all that graced his ears was the thunderous crack of the whip as it dug into his flesh followed by the sounds of his screams.

The pain was immediate and was amplified by the fresh tattoos he'd received earlier in the day. He made no attempt to hold back his wails of anguish as Goth reared back and struck him once again. The crack of the whip and the sound of his cries combined into a sadistic symphony that was music to her ears. She delighted in his agony and made sure to show no mercy as she continually brought the whip down on to his back.

It wasn't long before the skin on his back was exposed and the runes that were etched into his skin began to give off a menacing red glow. Jake felt a new sensation of pain well up from within and begin to mingle with the continued lashing he was receiving. His mind began to feel numb from the overwhelming sensations that began some terrible marriage in him. Tears began to well up in his eyes as Goth began bringing the whip down at a more frenzied and intense pace. He tried to focus on counting, but soon found even that simple action impossible. He prayed for mercy, but was given none as the strikes came again and again.

Goth had to admit that it felt good to show her Raven his place. Her joy was two fold as this would be a session to remember and one she would look back on with fondness. This was sure to be a stern reminder of what would happen should he fail her again, and with a little luck it would show Elizabeth the consequences of her actions. She spared a glance to the small camera that she'd set up before bringing her pet down here. She made sure to flash a malicious smirk at the camera as she struck her lover once again.

The punishment continued for nearly half an hour, and by the time it was done Jake was reduced to a bawling mess. His screams had died down to pathetic sobs and pleas for mercy. He relaxed when he heard the familiar click of her boots approaching. It was over and he could take solace in that at least. Her imposing form came into view and he looked up at her and said, "Forgive me Goddess for I have failed you. Thank you for your mercy, and I will not fail you again."

She cocked her head to the side and grinned as she took a fistful of his hair in her hand. She bent down and stared into his eyes as she said rather loudly, "You will not fail me again, my Raven, but your punishment is not over yet. No, we are only getting started."

A new wave of terror shot through him and his eyes went wide. His breath became ragged and panic filled his voice as he said, "W-what?! Please Goth I've learned my lesson!"

She stood to her full height as she released his hair and said, "Not yet, my love, but you will learn soon enough."

It had been almost a week since Beth's little adventure in Citiville. She hadn't dawned her costume since returning. The words of Pamela continued to ring out in her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling of weakness and failure that swirled about her head. She felt like she had failed not only herself but Jake. She'd spent many sleepless nights wondering just what hell he had been put through. Unbeknownst to her, those wonders were about to be answered.

There was a sudden knock at her door and she rose from her couch to see who it was. She wasn't expecting company, but briefly wondered if it were one of Goth's underlings coming to finish her off. She opened the door ready to face whatever was waiting, but found only a small package at her feet. She furrowed her brow and picked up the package. There was a small note attached to the package that she read as she went back inside. The note simply said, "You did this to him."

She felt a wave of dread wash over her as she frantically ripped the parcel open. Inside she found a small case with a disk inside. She opened it and found nothing written on it, so she took it to her television and inserted it into her DVD player. She pressed play and was horrified at what she saw. There was Jake being led to a stockade with Goth escorting him. She watched as she crossed the room and retrieved what looked to be a whip.

She covered her mouth as she watched the sadistic bitch proceed to strike her friend repeatedly. This continued for some time, and she took note of the markings on Jake's back. Some sort of symbols that began to glow red as the punishment went on. When he began to cry and scream pleas of mercy she had to shut her eyes. Thirty minutes felt like an eternity as she watched her once strong friend become reduced to a sobbing mess. Finally Goth set the whip down and walked over to him. Beth had a sinking feeling that things were only going to get worse. Her fears were confirmed as she heard the brief exchange between the two.

She watched as Goth delivered a brutal uppercut to Jake that shattered the stockade and sent him flying backwards. Jake never made an attempt to rise or to fight and Beth slowly began to feel something inside of her snap. She watched as Goth sauntered over and began to stomp on her friend's prone body. She was wearing her heeled boots and after the third stomp she saw blood began to fly up. Again and again she delivered a series of trampling stomps that resulted in screams for mercy and help from Jake, but not once did he dare attempt to stop her.

Goth finally took hold of him and forced him to his feet before striking him in the stomach. Jake doubled over in pain, but Goth would have none of it as she took his throat in her hands with a vice like grip. She lifted him up and Beth felt sick as she saw his eyes begin to bulge. She was going to kill him, and she let this happen!

Before Jake passed out, Goth suddenly launched him across the room. His back collided with a stone wall and he fell to the ground in a coughing fit. Beth could hear his cries for mercy through the audio, "Please, please stop I'm sorry and I won't fail you again."

Goth's taunting reply caused her breathing to intensify as she felt her mind begin to snap, "You aren't sorry yet, my love, but soon you will be."

She had the audacity to refer to him as love when she was killing him! Beth began to grind her teeth as she watched Goth produce a large knife and slowly approach him. She watched in horror as she began to issue slices across his figure littering it in cuts and knicks. By the time she was done he was a complete and bloody mess laying on the ground. She raised her hand and a strange light began to emanate from it. Jake's body began to contort and his screams rang out once again as his body began to twist in sickeningly unnatural movements. This torture went on for some time before Goth lowered her hand and his body went limp.

She walked over to him and began to once again trample his battered and broken form. She stopped after maybe twenty blows and Jake lay there lifeless. Beth felt rage well up within her and a new emotion overwhelm her: hatred. She'd thought she knew hate before, but now all she could think of was revenge. It was amplified and solidified as Goth's face came into view of the camera and she said, "This is because of you Elizabeth. I hope you're happy."

She exited the room and the camera was left to roll on Jake's lifeless body for some time. Beth couldn't take it anymore and she launched her remote into the television effectively shattering it. Not satisfied with simply destroying her television she began to tear up her apartment. She flipped the couch and shattered her tables. She launched anything small across the room and more than once drove said items into the walls. She was lost in the rage and hate that flowed through her, and by the time it was done her apartment was a wreck. She'd had battles with less collateral damage than this.

She stood there panting before stomping off to her bedroom. She'd managed to grab a few things from Jake's lair after he turned himself over to Goth. It wasn't long after that, that the place was raided by her goons. She found a hood of sorts that he had been working on. It obscured the face and filtered out almost all powerful odors that their foes used. She looked down at the hood and caught a glimpse of her reflection in it. Gone was the wounded cat from earlier, and now there stood a being of pure hate and vengeance staring back at her. She would make them pay, she would make them suffer. She wouldn't stop until they felt the pain that she felt, or until she died. She grabbed the hood and set about making preparations for her first outing.


	2. Spirit of Vengeance

Beth stared at the hood before her and took a deep breath before picking it up. She set it upon her bed and set about searching for some more fitting attire. She opened her closet and stared at her former costume for a minute before ripping it from its hanger; she was through with being Catgirl, that persona had brought nothing but pain for her. She dug about her closet and came across an old and heavy jacket she'd bought last year. The coat was black and held a good deal of weight; the color matched the feelings of numbness and bitterness that resided inside of her. She set it next to the hood and pulled out a pair of combat boots she had stored away.

She found a pair of black loose fitting pants that complimented her new look. She donned her new garments with the sole intention of going out tonight and showing the world the pain she felt. After pulling the pants up and tucking them into her boots she realized she was missing a shirt. She dug out a simple white tank top that she threw on before putting the heavy coat on over it. Now she needed weapons, something to inflict the pain and fear she'd felt while watching that bitch murder her friend. The thought caused a surge of anger to shoot through her and she rammed her fist into the drywall of her room. It shattered through the wall and she pulled her fist back with a shaky breath.

She dug through her closet searching for an old box of evidence she and Jake had held on to. She found the box and blew the dust off of it, and regarded the bird symbol resting atop it. A single tear fell down her cheek as she ran a hand across the symbol of her former friend. She closed her eyes and reminded herself that she had pulled this out for a reason; she opened the box and pulled out two large caliber handguns. The guns were missing serial numbers, and were formerly the possessions of the Fifth Street Filth Gang; they were one of their few items that didn't revolve around stench and filth. A set of matching holsters rested beside them, which she snatched up and set about fastening. One rested on her right thigh while the other came to rest under her left arm.

She removed the utility belt from her old costume and fastened it to her waist. Catgirl may be dead, but some of the gadgets would still prove useful. She had managed to grab a few other toys from Jake's lair and set about placing them in some vacant pouches on her belt. Lastly, she went and retrieved a few knives from her personal collection. Before becoming a hero, Beth had a strange fascination with the sharp objects. She had kept several different types from throwing knives to a few bowie knives all of which were sharpened regularly. The habit served as a meditative act for her, but never in a million years did she think she would be using these weapons on people.

Her new look complete she picked up the hood and slid it over her head. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stopped to look at the person she had become, no the person that she had been forced to be. Before her stood a rather intimidating stranger with no distinguishing features say for the strange hood. Her own features were hidden well, and when she threw the hood of her coat up it became something of a spectre staring back at her. She nodded once at herself before making for her bedroom window. 

She climbed out into the darkness and onto the fire escape that rested outside. She hurried up the stairs and up to the roof. She came to a stop once there and looked about her city. She once viewed it as a place of hope, but now all she could see was filth and darkness that needed to be cleansed. She would make sure that by the end of the night people would think twice before committing crimes. She took off in a sprint and began to work up a quick sweat in her heavy attire before bounding from the rooftop and onto the neighboring one.

She ran about the rooftops for a short time before coming to a stop when a scream caught her attention. She walked to the edge and peered down into the darkness of an alleyway. The hood switched to night vision of its own accord and she watched as a woman backed away from a group of men. It looked like they had cut her off in a black sedan and she was trapped. Her blood began to boil as she prepared for her next move.

One of the men inched closer to the terrified woman and she tripped out of fear. His menacing words rang out in her ears as he crept closer, "Already down on all fours, just the way I like it. Keep still and be a good girl, and maybe we'll go easy on you."

One of the men stopped his approach and called out to the one in front, "Hey! You hear something?"

Before the man could answer Beth dropped onto the roof of the car in a crouch. One of the men stared at her and began to ask, "What the fuck are you supp-"

That was all he could get out as Beth quickly unholstered her gun and fired a shot into his chest. The man's body fell back as he groaned. The others looked to each other before pulling their own guns and taking shots at Beth. She wasted no time and before the first shot was fired she was in the air in a front flip. On her descent she fired two shots into another man, and as she landed she grabbed hold of him and used him as a shield. The man found himself full of bullets before he knew what was happening, and Beth threw his bloody and lifeless body into his comrades.

There was one man behind her and he charged her, but she heard him coming. She ducked under his attack and side stepped as she rose. She threw a powerful punch into his back and then took hold of the back of his head. She quickly hurled him into the window of the car with enough force to shatter it. Shards of glass littered his face and blood ran down the door to the car.

She looked to the terrified faces of the other two men who looked ready to run, but she wasn't in the mood for survivors. She fired a shot into one man's head and another into the knee of the other. She turned back to the now horrified woman and gave a single command, "Run."

Her voice came out distorted and it gave her new look an even more intimidating feel. The woman blinked for a moment, but quickly took off in a blind sprint. Beth slowly approached the wounded man who tried desperately to crawl away. He looked up at her with terror in his eyes. Behind her hood a sadistic smile crept across her face as she bent down near him. The man panicked and tried to frantically crawl away, but Beth produced a small knife and jammed it into his wounded knee. The man screamed in pain and looked up at her as he said, "If you're gonna kill me, just fucking kill me!"

Beth cocked her head and twisted the knife in his leg eliciting another howl of pain from him. "You think you'll get off as lucky as your friends?" she asked as she continued to slowly twist the knife, "No, you die when I say you die, and not a second sooner."

The man began to cry as he looked up at her and pleaded, "Please, just...just show some mercy."

Beth winced as his words caused the memory of Jake to echo through her mind. She ripped the knife from his leg and placed the edge under his chin to force him to look up at her. She spoke without remorse and with nothing but hate as she said, "Tell me, if our positions were reversed, would you show me mercy? How many women begged you for mercy, begged you to stop?! How many lives have you ruined?! No, there will be no mercy here only suffering, and when I finally decide to end your worthless life...you can tell the devil there's more to come. I'll send you and all of your kind to hell, and when I die I'll find you all over again. There is no salvation for the likes of you, only suffering. Now, let's begin."

Beth removed her knife from the man's leg who let loose another scream in response. She slowly trailed the knife along his jaw as she contemplated how best to make this man suffer. The image of Jake laying on the floor with countless cuts welled up in her mind, and she violently slashed with her knife. The blade sliced at his cheek and he winced in response. That settled it then, how many cuts could this man withstand? She began slowly cutting him again and again as he began to cry and sob beneath her.

Beth was so caught up in her work that she failed to notice an onlooker not far off. A short and slender young woman sat perched on a nearby fire-escape watching her work. A smirk crept across her face as she watched this new girl wield her knife with such sadism that even she had to admire. This night had just taken an interesting turn.

Jake woke up in a cold sweat panting. Panic and fear filled his mind as he looked around. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't on the cold stone floor of the dungeon, but rather a familiar soft surface. The stench that hit him confirmed where he was, he was in Goth’s personal chambers. He looked around and scrambled when his eyes landed on his Goddess. Terror didn't even begin to describe the sight of the merciless woman before him, and he wasn't sure if she was through with him or not.

Goth felt the terror that radiated off of her lover, and had to suppress the smile she felt as she savored the taste. She did so love it when he felt fear; intoxicating wasn't an adequate way to describe it. She centered herself and focused on the task at hand; ensuring her Raven's loyalty. She raised a hand and offered a concerned look as she said, "Relax, my love, it is only me and you have nothing to fear."

Jake wasn't completely sold on that sentiment, but tried to do as he was told. He opened his mouth to speak, but found it not only difficult but painful, "Goth?" he asked hoarsely.

She crossed over to him and sat down beside him. He shook out of fear as he looked up into her vibrant eyes, but was surprised by compassion in her gaze. She gave her lap a pat and issued an unspoken command for him to lay his head down. He did just so, and was thankful for the time he'd had to get used to her rank B.O. He felt her strong hand begin to caress his head and slowly relaxed as she spoke, "It does pain me so to have to inflict such torments on you, my love, but you must learn your place. Such is the cost of being a Goddess among men that at times I have to dole out punishments even to those that I cherish, but I am not without mercy. You'll notice that your wounds have been mostly healed, and you'll notice I say mostly. As much as I hate to, I cannot leave you without a reminder of the cost of disobedience."

She continued to stroke his hair and he shifted a bit. Sure enough, his movements sent a wave of fresh pain shooting down his back. Painful as it was, the pain was far less than it had previously been. He tried once again to speak, "Forgive…" was all his sore throat could choke out.

She shushed him and continued, "Shhh don't try to speak, my love, for all of my magic I couldn't restore that sweet voice. Do not worry, I am a benevolent Goddess ripe with forgiveness and compassion for those that I care for, and I do not harbor any malice towards you. It isn't your fault that that little welch still tries to fill your head with nonsense. Have no fear, my beloved, I will always be here for you, and always remember I am the way, the truth, and your hope for salvation in this twisted world. Rest now, my Raven, regain your strength and I will return for you after I attend to some matters of my court. Never forget that no matter the punishment I inflict, I do it out of love and to guide your wayward spirit."

She stayed there for a moment longer before gently rising and setting his head down upon a pillow. Jake watched her carefully and let her words sink in. He felt his terror begin to subside, and become replaced by a feeling of safety. The back of his mind continued to scream at him that this was wrong, but he pushed the thoughts aside as he drifted off into a dreamers slumber. His last thoughts were of himself resting at his Goddess's feet.

Goth watched her lover drift off before exiting her room. Aurora stood outside with Dilatrix close by. Dilatrix stood leaned against a wall with an open tome seemingly uninterested. Aurora spoke first as Goth gently closed the door, "Is it done?"

Goth nodded to her friend as she replied, "Yes, I made sure to remind him of his place and that there is nowhere safer than at my feet."

Aurora scoffed and said, "I still say you should have let me have a turn with him. I would have really reminded him how good he has it with you. The pathetic little worm needs to understand how lucky he is."

Goth cast a stern glare at her friend and her eyes began to glow as she said, "Hold your tongue. You may be my friend, but I will not have you harming my beloved. It is true that he had a lapse in judgement, but that shouldn't be a problem anymore. Even if he still holds onto his little friendship, Elizabeth shouldn't be a problem anymore."

Dilatrix closed her book and regarded Goth carefully as she spoke up, "You shouldn't have sent her that recording."

Goth looked to her curiously, "You would question your Goddess?"

Dilatrix shook her head as she replied, "I merely seek to offer council, my Goddess. By sending her that, you may have unleashed something dark within the girl. There is a fine line between hatred and sanity, and you may have pushed her over the edge."

Goth considered her words for a moment before saying, "What's done cannot be undone, and if she makes the mistake of approaching my Raven again I will handle her myself if necessary."

Dilatrix nodded and began to walk off, "Your will be done, my Goddess."

Goth and Aurora watched the witch exit their company. Aurora couldn't stand her, but her powers were almost more terrifying than her friend's. If it weren't for her usefulness, she would have tried to convince Goth to remove her from her court. She decided to ignore the witch and instead address her friend, "I believe Pamela and Nastia had an update on Metropolis for you."

Goth nodded and began to make her way down the stairs to her chapel, "Let's not keep them waiting," she said.

Beth had finished off the filth that with a final slash to the throat. The man had long given up on begging and sobbed instead until the final blow. She panted as she looked down at her handiwork. Before her lay a man who was near unrecognizable due to the copious cuts that lined his bloody form. She hadn't counted her slashes, but from looking at him she guessed around a thousand or so. Some part of her took satisfaction in the work before her, but she reminded herself that this was only the beginning.

The sound of soft footfalls caught her attention, and even through her respirator she caught a familiar stench. Without looking she drew her pistol and aimed it at the approaching female. "If you have any sense left in that thick skull of yours, you'll walk away," she said, "Tonight is not a night to test me."

A short and lithe woman with shoulder length brown locks slowly walked up. She wore a sadistic smile and gave an approving whistle before speaking, "You can relax, I'm simply here to admire your work and ask a few questions. Tell me, what drives a hero down such a merciless path, Beth?"

Beth turned to face her old adversary and glared behind her hood. Footgirl stood still and with her hands up, but sported an impressed smile. She didn't lower her gun, and instead turned herself towards her enemy. "How did you know?" she asked while keeping her gun trained on her head.

Footgirl grinned and said, "You can change your look, you can change your tactics, but I'd know those moves anywhere. Are you going to answer me or shoot me?"

"I haven't made up my mind yet," Beth said, "If you take another step, you'll make it up for me."

Footgirl laughed loud and hard at her words. She slowly inched forward while saying, "What makes you think I'm afraid of death? I'm hunted in my own city by a woman deeming herself a God. If they find me then I suffer a fate worse than death, so if you're going to kill me go ahead. You'd only be showing me mercy, and if what you said is true that's no longer your angle."

Footgirl stopped in front of the barrel of Beth's pistol. The cold metal pressed to her forehead, and her smile never faltered. Beth debated on simply pulling the trigger, but something about this wasn't right. The girl was never stable, but something about her demeanor was somehow unnerving. She'd faced her countless times with Jake, but she'd never appeared this calm and grounded. 

She finally relented and lowered her pistol before asking, "What do you want Alexis?"

Alexis Hamilton, or Footgirl as she was commonly known, walked past Beth and knelt beside the bloody corpse. She ran a finger along one of his many cuts and said, "As I said, I simply came to admire your work. This is a level of sadism that even impresses me, but why the sudden change of heart?"

Beth sighed as she debated on telling her. She wasn't sure if it was wise to open up to a psycho like her, but in truth she didn't have anyone anymore. She decided to open up, after all worst case she could put a bullet in her and be done with it. "Jake's dead," she finally said, "Killed by the so called Goddess who he pledged his life to."

Beth expected Alex to lash out or cry, but what she got instead put her more on edge. Alex looked up at the night sky for a moment before turning her attention back to the mangled body and simply saying, "Oh."

Beth cocked her head and asked, "That's all you have to say?! The boy you spent years chasing and obsessing over is dead, and all you can say is 'oh'?!"

Alex shrugged and began rooting around the man's coat. She produced a battered pack of cigarettes and pulled one out along with a lighter. She put it to her lips, lit it, and took a drag before saying, "I'd heard that he gave in to her, and that he had given up his mantle. I can't say I'm surprised that she killed him once she got bored, but that doesn't explain why you're out here on a killing spree."

Beth shut her eyes and against her better judgement removed her hood. The familiar stench of unwashed feet hit her, but she pushed the nausea aside. She swallowed and fought back tears as she spoke, "He's dead because of me. All because I wanted to make sure he was okay, and because he chose to let me go. Goth killed him and sent me the recording to send me a message."

She half expected Alex to launch herself at her, but was surprised to find her offering her a cigarette. She took it and the offered light before taking a drag. The smoke settled in her lungs and she bit back a cough as Alex spoke, "That's cold even for someone like me. So, you're out here taking the lives of criminals as a way to atone for his death? Seems like a shit plan if you ask me."

Beth exhaled as she replied, "Then it's a good thing I didn't ask you, and that's not what I'm doing. I'm giving back the pain that people like you and people like her have given to countless innocents, and before I'm done I'll see that bitch dead."

Alex laughed out loud at that, and Beth scowled at her. "And people say I'm crazy," she said, "You're going to kill the Goth Goddess, the immortal sorceress with an army of mindless drones? You're not going to get far with those little toys, they might work on someone like me but not her."

Beth glared at her and asked, "Then what do you propose?"

Alexis grinned as she replied, "I may have something that can help, but first you need to prove to me that you're capable of doing this. Killing random thugs and drunks is one thing, but handling more organized groups is another entirely. Head to West End and pay a visit to the clock tower; make sure to get some information before killing everyone. When you finish, come to this address. I'll be waiting."

She handed her a slip of crinkled paper before finishing her cigarette and squashing the butt. Beth looked at the crudely written note; it was sloppy for someone that was supposed to be a genius. She looked up Alexis and asked, "What's happening at the clock tower?"

Her grin widened as she turned and began walking off and called back, "Think of it as a gift. Try not to get killed."

Beth scowled as her former enemy disappeared from the alleyway. She debated on trusting her, but eventually decided it couldn't hurt. If it was a trap then anyone involved including Alexis would regret it. Her mind made up, she pulled her old grappling gun out and fired it before ascending into the night sky.

It took her some time to reach West End, but she could see the clock tower in the distance. It was one of the oldest structures in the city, and a former favorite spot for her and Jake to observe their home. She shut her eyes as the fond memory rolled through her mind before the image of her broken friend laying lifeless returned. She clenched her fists and swallowed the pain that threatened to well up and spill out. She needed to focus and stay busy to avoid the thoughts, she still had a job to do. She could relive the memories another time.

She made her way to the tower, and silently entered it. She could hear voices from within, and she furrowed her brow. This place was usually abandoned, so why were there people here? Figuring it best to find out why and assuming they weren't friendly, she pulled one of her pistols and began her ascent. She cleared a flight of stairs and a pair of men in suits stopped her. "Private party freak," one of the men said, "Get lost or you'll regret it."

Beth rolled her eyes beneath the hood and aimed her pistol at the man's stomach before pulling the trigger. The gunshot echoed throughout the decrypt tower along with the man's cries of pain. The second man, who looked to be fairly young, paled and backed up with his hands raised. She turned her attention to him and aimed at his head before saying, "Turn and run or stay and die, the choice is yours."

The man didn't hesitate and took off down the steps. He was gone before she knew it, and she resumed her walk. Something was going on here, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She let her boots fall hard on the wooden steps as she neared the top. A man peered over an upper railing and called out in an attempt to warn others. She kept her pistol handy, but pulled out her grappling gun. She aimed for the banister and fired it; she soared through the air, and when she pulled herself up bashed the man's skull with the butt of her gun. He hit the floor with a thud. She decided to save her bullets for the rest of the party.

A set of double doors barred her way in, but she was through waiting and through sneaking. She slammed her foot into the doors and they burst open. Several eyes turned to her and men and women alike drew weapons. She looked around and saw piles of cash along with multitudes of drugs spread about the large room. She snarled as she drew her second pistol and opened fire. Her aim was true and her fingers were fast as bullets broke the silence and cut down several individuals. The survivors opened fire, and she sprang into evasive action.

Her movements were fast and fluid as she darted about the room. Bullets whizzed past her as she snaked her way about the room. She was outnumbered and outgunned, but she didn't care. She dove beneath a large table and crawled a short distance before flipping the table and spilling money and drugs. The motion caught several off guard as she rose and emptied what remained of her clips into another group of criminals. Hearing the dull click she holstered one and produced a handful of knives. She clutched them between her fingers as she resumed her wild motions. One of the men called out, "I can't get a beat on 'em! Fucker is moving like a goddamn wild animal!"

That was the last sound he made as a knife found its way into his throat. Blood pooled up in his mouth and a sickening gargle could be heard before he fell back. That did it, what remained of the criminals began to panic and make for an escape. She spotted one man, finely dressed and clearly a ring leader, and she launched her remaining knives into his leg. He fell to the ground and cried out in pain. She didn't bother with the others, figuring they could spread the message that this city wasn't to be fucked with. 

The man scrambled as the sound of her heavy boots drew closer and closer to him. He thrashed about as her hand clasped onto his arm and she began dragging him. He fought back, so she dropped him and reloaded her gun. She aimed it at his head and he shut his eyes waiting for the inevitable, but it never came. Instead a deafening shot rang out in his ear as she fired beside his ear. "Stop struggling or you'll be begging me for death," she threatened, "We're going to take a little walk, and you're going to give me some answers."

The man's face was coated in terror, but he did as he was told. She roughly grabbed him and began dragging him again. She drug him up another flight of stairs that led to the roof making sure to take her time. She'd been stabbed before and knew the pain that was shooting through his legs, and part of her relished it. She told herself that it was because he was a criminal, but deep down she wasn't sure that was it.

They reached the roof and she threw him down, hard. He rolled and cried out as his leg injury was exasperated. He looked up at her and began backing away saying, "Stay back!"

She paid him no heed as she closed the gap and lifted him up by his collar. She pulled a knife out and held it to his throat, "Who do you work for?" she demanded.

"I work for myself you fucking psycho!" he cried out.

"Bullshit," she said and pressed the knife to his throat, "There was too much money and contraband for this to be some small time operation, but please keep lying to me."

She threw him back down and launched the knife into his shoulder earning another cry from him. She walked forward and took hold of the handle before yanking it upwards and cutting his flesh. He howled in pain and looked up at her. "Who, what are you?"

She knelt down and slowly drove the blade into his hand as she said, "I am what this city made me. I am the screams of the innocents that your kind has murdered, I am the answer to a million prayers of hate and vengeance, I am the end of the road for all your sins. Above all else, I am your death. Whether it is quick or painful is up to you. Answer me!"

The man began to cry out of fear and pain as reality began to hit him. This psycho would be his end, but he couldn't give him his Goddess. If she found out he talked then she would make him suffer. Rumor was that she had someone who could bring back the dead, and he didn't want to test that with her in a mood. He sobbed and looked down as he said, "I can't."

Beth stood up and decided on a new tactic. She pulled out a long spare cord for her grappling gun and tied it around him. She stood him up and forced him to the edge. She held him over and asked, "Is that your final answer?"

He looked down and asked, "W-what are you doing?!"

"Getting answers," she said before pushing him over the edge.

He screamed as he fell, and nearly pissed himself as he watched the ground grow closer and closer. A sudden snap and sharp pain caused him to cease his cries. He dangled there for a moment before feeling himself getting dragged back up. He came face with the hooded terror and sobbed in front of it. "Want to go for another ride?" it asked, "I can do this all night, I've got nothing but time."

"Alright, alright!" he screamed, "I serve the Goddess!'

Beth felt her eye twitch at his words. This was why Alexis sent her here. She knew Goth was working her slimy fingers around her city. Beth felt a new surge of anger rush through her as she pulled her pistol and trained it on his head. Goth had not only killed her friend, but she had never kept her word. An operation like this couldn't have sprung up over night. She'd been working on this for some time, and even though Jake had given himself to her and served her she still went back on her word. She was going to kill that bitch, but now she was going to make her suffer.

The man spoke up, "Go ahead and kill me, I'm already dead once she finds out I cracked."

Beth debated on it, but a cruel smile spread across her lips as she holstered her pistol. She walked off and tied the cable around a nearby post before turning back and speaking, "No, death is a mercy you don't deserve. You serve a false God and you should be punished by your Goddess."

The man looked at her in terror in outrage as he pleaded, "No please! I didn't have a choice, she enslaved half of my people! Please you don't know what she's capable of, what she does to people who disobey."

Oh she knew all too well what fate awaited him, but she didn't care. She hauled him to his feet and walked him to the edge as she said, "Men like you always have a choice. You chose a life of crime and instead of giving up, you chose to serve that sadistic cunt. You deserve whatever fate she sees fit to give you. You tell her that I'm coming for her, but not before you meet your fate."

She shoved him off the roof and he screamed as he fell. She looked over the edge to his dangling form and smirked. It faded quickly as she realized just how deep her influence went. Goth had began to take her city, and had probably tried to recruit Alexis. That would explain why she said she was being hunted in her own city. She would have to ask her about it when she saw her again. Satisfied with her work, she began her descent from the rooftop and the tower. As she exited the building she began to think of a way to really hurt Goth. She remembered overhearing that Megabutt was her sister. An idea formed in her head as she made for the address on the note; Goth had taken her friend, so she would take her sister. It was long overdue anyway considering the amount of trouble the gassy terror had wreaked on her city. She would send a message with it, and one that Goth would remember.

For the time being she needed to get somewhere safe and disappear. She decided that since her apartment was trashed and probably being watched that she would head to the address Alexis had given her. She could always go back by her place in the day if she needed to retrieve anything, but her gut told her that it would be best to stay away tonight. With thoughts of vengeance and self preservation in mind, she headed for Footgirl's current lair. She fired her grappling gun once more and left the clocktower behind.

The address she was given was quite a ways away, and it took her more time than she thought to find it. It was due in part to the fact that she was looking for something more extravagant than where she ended up. Footgirl had occupied several locations from labs to penthouses in their time as enemies, but to Beth's knowledge she'd never inhabited such a squalor. The address she was given was what appeared to be an abandoned one story home on the outskirts of Metropolis. The place looked run down on the outside, and its shutters were boarded up tight. The door seemed to be more of a decoration than anything functional as it sat propped up against the frame. 

Any thoughts of this place being some kind of cover was shattered upon entering. The first thing that hit was the smell. Even through her respirator a smelly of musty and moldy cheese drifted through; if it were this bad with it on she shuddered to think what it would be like with it off. She looked around and saw piles of discolored socks and shoes, discarded clothes of various sorts, and what looked to be a makeshift chemistry station. It was almost sad to see how far the poor girl had fallen as she looked around. 

What really caught her eye and sent a literal shiver down her spine was a small area in a corner. A massive picture of Jake rested on the wall and underneath it were some candles illuminating the portrait. She saw the silhouette of Alexis huddled around the area and slowly crept over to her. The closer she got the more she could hear her talking to someone; was she that far gone that she was talking to herself? As she approached she saw the girl sitting on the floor holding what had to be the tattered remains of Jake's Birdboy costume. Alexis wasn't talking to herself, she was talking to the suit! "I miss you Jake," she said to the suit, "If you'd have only chosen me all those years ago, none of this would be happening. You hurt your friend and your true love by choosing that bitch. I'd have kept you safe and happy, I always knew you had a thing for feet after all."

Beth closed her eyes as a mixture of disgust and pity formed in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't continue to watch this and spoke up, "Alexis."

She looked up from her conversation before she rose to her feet. She planted a kiss on the remains of the suit before gingerly setting it down on the mantle. Beth took note of what looked to be a yearbook from Jake's school with scrawled writing covering the pages surrounding his picture. Alexis turned to her and gave her an unnerving smile as she said, "Still alive I see, that's good. Did you have fun out there?"

Beth narrowed her eyes behind her hood as she spoke, "You knew that it was a meeting for Goth's followers. How much do you really know?"

Alexis circled her as she let out a soft chuckle. "More than most," she said, "I take it you managed to pry some useful information from those fools. I'm curious, did you enjoy killing them?"

Beth looked away as she replied, "I did what needed to be done. The only way to stop an infection is to cut it out, I know that now."

Alexis laughed at her logic, "How right you are, but you enjoyed it didn't you? We're more alike than either of us realized."

Beth looked up and met her gaze as she coldly replied, "I'm nothing like you and your kind."

"Says the girl who's body count is climbing at an alarming rate," she taunted, "It feels good doesn't it? Holding someone's life in your hands, it's addicting isn't it?"

Beth felt herself begin to shake as she once again said, "I did what needed to be done. How long has Goth been in Metropolis and how long has she been after you?"

Alexis gave a hmm before saying, "I'm not done with our current conversation, don't try to change the subject. Tell me how it felt to take lives into your own hands."

Beth couldn't take this anymore, so she pulled her gun and aimed it for Alexis. "Answer my question," she threatened.

Alexis took slow steps forward as she spoke, "I asked first. Admit it, you love that feeling don't you? The feeling of complete control over who lives and who dies. Even now you're standing there thinking how easy it would be to pull that trigger, how good it would feel to snuff out another threat to your precious city. You may not want to admit it, but it doesn't make it any less true. You and I are more alike than you think. Go ahead, shoot me."

By the time she finished her head was pressed against the barrel of the gun and her arms were spread wide. Beth felt her arm begin to tremble as her words sank in. She had to be wrong, she was just paying back the evil in this world with the terror it had put into it. She released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she lowered her gun. She closed her eyes and let her breathing regulate just like she was taught years ago.

Alexis smiled as she said, "That's what I thought. Now, on to your questions. Goth has been here since shortly after Jake disappeared. She began by seizing his company and assets, and from there began taking over all crime. She sent one of her lackies to offer me a position, but I told her to fuck off. Footgirl doesn't serve anyone but herself; as you can imagine that didn't sit well with her. It started small, a few goons here and there would come after me and fall easily, but then she sent one of her more adept followers. Pamela, I think her name was. That little bitch packed a punch, and did a number on me. I barely managed to escape, and I've been hiding out here since then. Go ahead and have a laugh at how far the mighty Footgirl has fallen."

Beth looked at her for a moment before removing her hood. She wrinkled her nose as the full weight of the stench hit her. It was far worse without the hood, and the sour smell of sweat mingled with the rotten cheese scent. She pushed her nausea aside as she placed a hand on Alexis' shoulder, "I didn't come here to laugh or mock you," she said, "I came here because you're going to help me, and from the sounds of it you had a score to settle before she...killed Jake."

It was painful to say that out loud, and she noted a look of sorrow across Alexis' face. It quickly disappeared as she said, "What do you have in mind?"

"When I was being held in the tower I heard Goth say that Megabutt is her sister," she said, "I'm going to put an end to her to send a message to Goth that my city and my friends are off limits."

Alexis shot her a quizzical look before it turned to a grin. "An eye for an eye, eh?" she asked, "I suppose great minds do think alike, but you'll need something more than those little toys to deal with Megabutt."

Beth shook her head at her comment before saying, "I take it you have something in mind."

Alexis' grin widened as she said, "I do, I do indeed. I've fought with and against Megabutt on several occasions, and you need an edge. I've got a list of things I'll need you to retrieve, but fair warning it won't be easy. Get me these items and I can give you the edge you need to actually stand a chance against Megabutt."

Beth nodded seeing no other option and said, "Alright I'll see what I can find in the morning."

Alexis smiled and gestured to a decrypt hallway saying, "There's a bed down the hall and to the right. I'm going to stay out here for a bit and maybe crash on the couch."

Beth nodded and took off down the hall. As she entered the hallway she could hear Alexis begin to once again talk to her friend's suit. Despite everything the crazy girl had put her through, she felt a wave of pity and rage inside her. Footgirl was far from good, but she didn't deserve this kind of torment. The girl was never sane, but Beth had no idea how unhinged she'd become until tonight. She'd make sure Goth paid a heavy price, not just for Jake but for Alexis and everyone else hurt in her wake. She found the bed and climbed in without bothering to remove her clothes, and in a few moments she was fast asleep.


	3. Death of a Titan

Beth watched as Goth stood over her with a sadistic grin. She'd fought with everything she had, but she'd proven to be too much for her. She gripped her pistols and tried to stand, but the sharp heel of the reeking amazon's boot pressed her back down. "Now, Elizabeth, I don't recall telling you to get up," she taunted, "You look much better at my feet. You came all this way just to fail, and poor Jake is dead because of you. His fate was child's play compared to what I'm going to do to you; I hope you're ready for some fun."

Beth awoke with a fright on the filthy mattress. She panted and reached for her gun, but stopped as she got her bearings. The stench of feet and sweat brought her back to reality. She glanced over at her phone and noted the time: a quarter after four. Another nightmare, this was the third one tonight. Since trying to find some rest she'd witnessed Jake's death and him begging her for help, him blaming her and cursing her for ruining his relationship with his Goddess, and now herself losing and being at the mercy of that sadistic tyrant. She groaned and decided that she wasn't getting any rest this night.

She pushed herself off of the bed, and tried not to think of the ick that she had just been laying in. Despite trying she still shuddered as she realized she'd been sleeping on a discarded sock most likely belonging to Alexis. That certainly explained the smell staining her nostrils. She shook her head as she dismounted the mattress, and exited the room. She hoped these dreams weren't going to become a recurring thing, but she didn't have much hope these days.

As she entered the living room she found Alexis sleeping soundly on the couch. She was clutching the remains of Jake's suit against her chest. It was a sad sight, and one that pulled at her heartstrings. The two had had their differences, but she didn't deserve this. To be hunted in her own city, and to lose the love of her life, granted said love was more than a bit one sided, but still it wasn't fair. She decided to use this moment to inspect the shrine to her friend, and made her way to it. She found the yearbook with several notes proclaiming love and desire to Jake, and a note that was addressed to Alexis in her own handwriting. She wondered how old the note was, but pushed the thought away as she continued looking over the table. She decided to cut it short as she found some locks of Jake's hair scattered about the table. Where the hell did she even get those?

She moved over to Alexis' chemistry station to see if she had indeed written a list for her. She didn't have a clue what this was for, but if it would help her take down Megabutt then she'd do whatever it took. She found a small piece of paper with several common things listed on them, and a note on the back. The note read:

Hey Kitty Cat, figured you wouldn't be able to sleep so I went ahead and wrote this out. Most of this stuff should be easy to get, but the last ingredient is in one of my old labs. I wrote the address down and just look for a bottle marked with AXJ, and get back here. I'm betting some of Goth's goons will be there looking for me, so watch out for that. Would hate for you to get killed before things start to get good. See you soon,

Footgirl.

Beth stared at the note for a minute wondering what the hell AXJ was supposed to be. She shrugged and put the note in her jacket before donning her hood and departing. She had over half of the list back at her apartment, and she needed to grab a few things anyways so she headed off into the early morning. The sun hadn't begun to rise just yet, and she savored the night air and the freshness that came with it. It was a welcome change from the rotten smell of Alexis' squat. She broke into a jog as she headed back into the city.

It didn't take too long for her to see the skyline of her beloved city, and she readied her grappling gun to speed up her trip. She fired it at one of the buildings and began to soar. She loved the feeling of flying through the air, but it was bittersweet as it reminded her of Jake. She sighed as she landed on the roof of a building and continued running. She wondered if she would ever be able to stop thinking about him. She couldn't stop blaming herself for everything; from his first submission to his untimely death, it all felt like her fault. If she had just been stronger then maybe she could have prevented this. If she had been willing to take that final step against evil maybe Jake would still be alive, but then she would have lost him another way. Some part of her still clung to her old ways, and it was screaming at her that what she was doing was wrong. She forced it down, and reminded herself that this was justice. She was doing what had to be done, and that was that.

She found herself back at her apartment before she knew it, and carefully entered through the open window. She drew one of her pistols as she entered her room. She checked the perimeter half expecting to find one of Goth's underlings waiting for her, but the place was empty. It was still trashed and she noted things seemed untouched. She closed her eyes and exhaled as she went back to her room, and grabbed a duffle bag. She began filling it with some of her clothes and various gadgets she had. She grabbed one some distress beacons, smoke bombs, replacement cable for her grappling gun, and a few bags of evidence they'd held on to for research. The bags contained some strange items, but most notably were some balls labeled stink grenades. Another item confiscated from her aunt Salley that she had held on to for Jake to research.

She stuffed the items in her bag, and set about her place looking for the ingredients she had on the list. Most of it was located in her kitchen or under her sink, and she briefly wondered if she was giving Footgirl the ingredients for a poison. She sighed as she placed the contents in her bag, and decided that if that's what they were then at least the pain would stop. "What am I thinking?" she asked herself, "Teaming up with one of my enemies, and accepting suicide as an option? What is wrong with me?"

She closed her eyes as if waiting for someone to answer, but only silence came. She sighed as she zipped the bag, and headed back to the window. She gave her old home a final look before leaving it behind. For better or for worse, she'd chosen this path and would see it through. Her next stop was a few miles away, and so she grabbed her grappling gun and fired once more.

She zoomed through the city as the sun began to rise. She noted an increased level of heat beneath her jacket, and cursed herself for forgetting deodorant. She found herself relishing the cool wind as she flew through the air, and a bit disappointed as she arrived at her destination. Maybe a heavy coat wasn't the best idea, but it was too late to change now. 

She walked along the rooftop of her destination, and searched for a skylight. She was rewarded when she spotted one overlooking a lab. She vaguely remembered this place, but it looked like it hadn't been touched in years. An outline of a man wandering the floor quickly dashed that thought, though. He looked to be wearing a black suit with a purple undershirt. Beth guessed it another one of the city's criminals that worked for Goth. She considered the subtle approach, but decided to send a message. If these fools wanted to work during the day thinking they were safe, then they needed to learn that no place was safe from her.

She waited until the man was under the skylight before bursting through the glass. The man looked up in time to see the sole of her boot collide with his face. He fell to the ground in a useless heap, and she looked around the room. There were three more all with wide eyes staring at her. "Shit! It's that feral freak!" one of the men yelled.

She cocked her head to the side at his comment. Feral? That was...different, but she didn't dwell on it as she sprang into action. Gunshots rang out as the men tried to take her down, but she was too fast for them. She went into a slide and fired a few shots into one of the men before pulling her grappling gun out and firing it. It wrapped around one of their ankles and she retracted it pulling him forward. He screamed as he drew closer to her and she slammed the butt of her gun into his head. She heard the sound of a slide, and flipped to the side to avoid a bullet. She landed in a crouch and took off in a wild pattern. The man tried to hit her, but she zigged and zagged her way up to him. She pulled a knife and dove between his legs, and sliced as she slid underneath him. He howled in pain as her knife cut through his ankle, and she rose behind him. She jammed the blade into his shoulder and forced him to the ground.

She got close to his ear as she said, "Tell that bitch you call a God that this city is off limits."

The man tried to stammer out a reply, but she knocked him out with a fierce punch. Now that the room was cleared she set about trying to find that container. It took more time than she thought, and to be honest she wasn't sure what she was looking for. After about a half hour of looking at various beakers, bottles, and boxes she began to grow frustrated. She cried out as she kicked a nearby desk in anger. There was a dull click that sounded, and one of the drawers opened up. A picture of Jake that looked by what she guessed was Alexis' feet with his tongue out rested atop a small box. She rolled her eyes and pocketed the picture; she figured Alexis might want it. She opened the box to find a small vial with a sticker labeled AXJ. Alexis X Jake, why did she not guess that? This girl's obsession really knew no bounds.

Feeling satisfied with her work she walked back to where she had entered. She pulled her grappling gun out and readied it, but not before giving one of the goons another kick for good measure. She fired it and in a second was back on the rooftop. She walked over to her duffle bag and gently placed the vial in the bag; she wrapped some of her clothes around it to keep it safe. She removed her hood and placed it in the bag as well before heading to the edge of the building. She carefully descended the building, and found herself in an alleyway. She sighed as she tried to collect herself and blend in to the civilians. She slowly exited the alleyway and began her walk back to her new teammate's hideout.

Goth sat on her throne and with Jake at her side. He was on his leash and couldn't bring himself to look up; he remained silent unless he was spoken to. He back still ached as did the rest of his body. The events of only a few nights ago laid heavy on his heart and continued to run through his mind. He hadn't said a word unless spoken since that night, and he hadn't any idea that he had been recorded. He was also blissfully unaware that his girlfriend and Goddess had sent said recording to his best friend.

Goth and Jake were waiting for the last remaining members of her court to show up. A meeting had been called to discuss Goth's business affairs in Metropolis. She decided to put her Raven's loyalty to the test by informing him of the state of his precious city. This would be the ultimate test to see if his lesson from the other night had finally broken his rebellious spirit. He had been so well behaved since that night, and she decided that this would be the next logical step in their relationship. If he was truly to be hers, then he would need to know and accept that her empire was growing beyond the expense of Citiville.

Pamela was present as was Dilatrix. Pamela stood off to the side rather impassively, while Dilatrix stood by Goth's side with her arms behind her back. Currently, they were waiting on both Nastia and Aurora who were supposedly on their way. The sound of devious and malicious laughter began to fill the room as they entered; Aurora held a leash in her hands, and with a rough tug Dart was jerked into the room. Jake dared to look up as the three women joined the fray; he took a careful look at Dart. She stood clearly shaken and a look of constant fear was plastered to her face. Her eyes remained downtrodden, but he noted it looked like she hadn't slept since the night he brought her in.

The collective eyes of the room were watching the three girls carefully as Nastia took a seat on the floor. She removed her shoe and began fishing between her toes. "Hey guys watch this!" she said excitedly, "Hey Darty, if you don't want to eat my toe jam just speak up."

Dart looked up to Nastia with a horrified expression. Disgust and panic were evident on her face as she opened her mouth to speak, but barely a hoarse whisper was heard. The rest of the room looked on with intrigue, while Jake stared with a pang of dread hanging in his gut. He watched his former friend continually try to speak up, but it seemed she was unable to. Aurora laughed loudly and cruelly as she said, "Doesn't sound like this little bitch wants to say no!"

Dart looked between the two sadistic women before her eyes landed on Nastia's rising figure with a handful of toe jam. One could almost see the stench coming off of it, and as she held it out Dart recoiled in revulsion. Finally she managed to croak out, "No."

The noise was so faint that if Jake hadn't been paying attention he wouldn't have heard it. To his horror he watched as Nastia inched forward and said, "I~can't~hear~you. Guess you must really want this then, huh? Open wide."

Tears welled up in Dart's eyes as Nastia forced her hand into her mouth. Jake couldn't tell what was worse, the fact that she was being forced to eat Nastia's toe gunk or the fact that as she swallowed she looked to be in pain. The latter was unexpected; Jake had been cornered by Nastia once before and while disgusting her toe jam hadn't hurt. He wondered just what Aurora had done to her after he had brought her back, and a sudden wave of guilt began to crash over him. He pushed it aside as he reminded himself that her punishment, whatever it had been, was brought about by her own choices. He served a higher purpose as Goth's Raven, and if Dart had simply stayed and followed her will this wouldn't have happened. If she had only given his Goddess a chance then maybe she could have stood by her side. Now she was doomed to be nothing more than an object to both Aurora, Nastia, and the rest of the court.

Goth finally spoke up, "Alright you two that's enough. You can play with your toy after we discuss business. I believe we have a guest who has a message for us."

Pamela looked up from the scene to Goth and asked, "Are you sure you wish to do this with your pet present?"

Goth gave her a nod before saying, "Of course, Pamela, my Raven deserves to know what is happening. I'll pardon your question this time, Pamela, but remember I am your Goddess and it is best to trust my judgement."

Pamela gave a bow and said, "Very well, forgive me my Black Matron. I will fetch our guest."

She exited the room, and Jake wondered just what was going on. He wasn't aware that anything was being kept from him, but he reminded himself that Goth knew what was best. He felt a bit of pride well up in him at the thought of being included in all of her affairs. To him, it meant that she was beginning to fully trust him. He was, admittedly, worried after that fateful night that he had lost her trust.

Pamela returned with a tall man who looked like he'd been put through the ringer. His clothes looked like they may have once been fairly nice, but appeared to be filthy and torn. It looked as though he'd be cut several times over, and his face looked to have several bruises across it. Jake wondered if one of the girls had gotten a hold of him or not. He watched him carefully, and tried to figure out just what his purpose was here. He didn't have to wait long as Goth said, "I understand you have a message for me from Metropolis. Well, out with it!"

Metropolis? What was going on? Jake tried to figure out why this man, who was apparently from his home, was here and what kind of message he could have for Goth. The man stepped forward and looked around the room, clearly nervous. He spoke with a bit of a stutter as he said, "W-well your Goddess, I-I was uh...I mean we were kind of attacked."

Goth began to grow impatient as she said, "And what does this attack have to do with me? Are you insinuating that I am not providing adequate protection for your little operations?"

The man quickly stepped forward and knelt down before saying, "No Goddess! I just, I was just told to give you a message by our attacker," he paused to swallow nervously before continuing, "You see, we were meeting to count up profits from our sales, and to prepare your tribute. We were in the middle of our meeting when this...this freak burst through the doors! I don't know who they were or why they were there, but they moved like a wild animal. They gunned down half of my people, and gutted another quarter with knives. They shouldn't have known about the clocktower, but somehow they did!"

"This...this psycho feral freak pinned me down, and dragged me to the roof. They fucking tortured me, and threw me off the clocktower before pulling me back up. When they spoke it was...scary and filled with hate. They beat me until I finally...I finally told them who I worked for."

The man shut his eyes as Goth stood from her throne. Jake's leash fell to the floor as she walked over to the man. She towered over him, and she cupped his chin to raise his gaze to her own. "What. Is. The. Message?" she asked, clearly growing more annoyed by the second.

The man began to shake in the presence of the Goddess. Partly due to sheer terror and partly because of the repulsive stench emanating from her imposing form. "They said," he began, "They said to tell you that they're coming for you, and after that they threw me off the roof."

Goth growled at his words. The back of her strong hand connected with his face, and his frail form fell to the floor. He made no attempt to rise, but instead chose to remain on the ground. "Aurora, Nastia it seems you have a new toy to break in," Goth said, "Take him and make sure to spare no expense with him. I want him to know the price of failure and the price of treason; take Dilatrix with you in case you go too far. I want his suffering to last as long as possible."

The two sadistic women walked up to the man who was now in tears begging, "Please my Goddess I didn't have a choice! Please they would have killed me!"

"Then perhaps you should have fought harder or died for your devotion," Goth replied as Aurora took a rough hold of the man, "You'll learn the price of failure, and if you're lucky you'll learn to serve. If not, then you'll die and be brought back again and again until you learn."

Jake watched with wide eyes as Aurora and Nastia left the room. Dart was pulled out of the room by Nastia. She seemed sympathetic to the man, but as her eyes met Jake's he sensed disappointment. He ignored it and turned back to Goth. She smiled down at him as she walked back to him and said, "I can sense your questions. You want to know if I'm operating in Metropolis, and if so how long I have been. The answer is simple, I am and I was long before you came to my tower and gave yourself to me. You might also be interested to know that your company and all real-estate is also under my control. What use is it to you, my love? It serves a better purpose in my hands, wouldn't you agree or is that a problem?"

Jake couldn't believe it. Goth had lied to him, and had never intended to keep her word. Part of him felt outrage, but it was outweighed by his fear. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop her, and the consequences of defiance were still fresh in his mind. With a meek and fearful voice he said, "No, my Goddess, you're right. I am your Raven and nothing more, and anything I had built in my past life should belong to you."

Goth could sense his anger, but more than that she could feel his hopelessness. She drank it in and felt herself begin to drip with arousal. She had completely broken him, and it was truly a magnificent feeling. She turned to Pamela and said, "Go to Metropolis and rally those worms. Remind them of who they serve and what happens when they disobey. Make sure they know that while under my protection no harm shall come to them, so long as they are willing to fight for me. While you're there try to find out who this new player is, and see if you can't bring them to me."

Pamela nodded and gave a bow before saying, "By your will it shall be done."

She turned to exit and Goth turned to Jake with a look of hunger in her eyes as she said, "Come, my Raven, I feel you've earned a reward for your exemplary behavior."

Beth had been waiting on the reeking couch Alexis called a bed for over an hour. She went back and forth between watching the girl work and polishing her arsenal. Currently she was in the process of cleaning her pistols. She had started it as an attempt to both quell her boredom and distract from the overpowering smell of feet that permeated the room. She glanced over to Alexis and asked, "Are you almost done? I've been waiting for what feels like forever."

Alexis rolled her eyes at her new roommate's remark. It had only been maybe an hour and a half, and she was nearly done. "Would you shut up?" she asked, "You can't rush an artist and you certainly can't rush perfection."

It was Beth's turn to roll her eyes. The girl had been an instrument of chaos for the city in the past, but she had to admit she was laser focused. The times she had looked over she was impressed that someone so unhinged could work with such speed and accuracy. Alexis worked without having to measure out the ingredients she had been given, and it seemed like second nature to her. She wondered just what the girl could have done if she hadn't turned to crime, maybe she could have cured cancer or something else major. 

She watched with avid curiosity as she carefully pulled out the mystery ingredient she'd retrieved from her old lab. Alexis took a small dropper and filled it with a large amount of the sickly green liquid inside the vial. It didn't look like a lot, but whatever the chemical was it seemed volatile from the way she handled it. Beth considered asking what it was, but felt it probably better not to. She set the parts to her gun down and rose from the couch to get a better angle on things. Alexis squeezed the dropper and the liquid inside dribbled out into an already full container before a plume of smoke sprung out. 

Somehow the smell in the house got worse as the smoke cleared. A combination of feet, sweat, and now sulfur filled the room and Beth gagged as it hit her. Alexis looked over to her and said, "Don't be so dramatic it's not that bad."

Beth coughed as she replied, "The hell it isn't! Jesus what even is that?"

Alexis rolled her eyes again and held the container out to Beth as she said, "This is my own little creation that will give you the edge you need in battle. You'll be faster and your reaction time will increase drastically. Now drink up."

Beth looked from her to the container of fizzing liquid with horror as she said, "You have got to be kidding me, you want me to drink that?"

Alexis shrugged and forced the container into her hands as she said, "It's either that or you'll end up under Megabutt's fat ass again. Yeah, everyone heard about your last trip to Citiville where she turned you into a throne...again, but hey of that's what you're into who am I to judge?"

Beth glared at her comment. Now she had two reasons to kill that bitch; one to send a message to Goth and two for telling every damn villain about the tower. She eyed the glass suspiciously before sighing and turning it up. The taste was somehow worse than the smell, and it took everything she had not to spit the contents out. She shuddered as she swallowed the contents, and exhaled as she slammed the glass down onto the chemistry station. She was about to ask when it was supposed to take effect, but before she could her body began to tremble. She went from shuddering to shivering as a wave of strange sensations rushed through her. She felt herself become somehow lighter, and her feet began to feel more rooted. She closed her eyes as the sensations became stronger, and she began to feel overwhelmed.

They stopped as suddenly as they had come on, and she looked up at Alexis who wore a strange grin. Before Beth knew what was happening she was on her feet and standing beside Alexis with a knife trained on her throat. She blinked and looked down to see one of her putrid feet where she had been mere seconds ago. "How do you feel?" Alexis asked.

Beth blinked and said, "Incredible, but what is that stench?"

Alexis' grin widened as she pointed to Beth's feet. Beth looked down and could almost see the stink radiating from her boots. She pressed the blade to Alexis' throat in frustration, but made sure not to hurt her. Alexis laughed and took hold of her arm before spinning around face to face and saying, "Think of that as a happy little side effect!"

Beth backed up and tried to collect herself before asking, "Is this permanent?"

Alexis shrugged again before saying, "I mean I never found a way to cure it, but look on the bright side now you've literally got a little bit of me in you. Besides Goth and her little cronies use feet, so this will give you an added edge!"

Beth closed her eyes and tried to calm down. Alexis made some good points, but the idea of having part of Footgirl in her DNA was a bit unsettling. In the end she decided it was a small price to pay for the added abilities as she said, "I guess you're right, but could you please not say anything to do with you being inside of me? Just...at least phrase that a little differently."

Alexis laughed and gave her a wink, "Personally I think you just got like ten times hotter, but that's just me," she said before sobering up, "Now on to business! Megabutt was last spotted at her little church. I'll assume you're wanting this little excursion of yours to be as public as possible?"

Beth nodded and began retrieving her equipment as she said, "Yeah, the criminals here and everywhere need to learn they aren't safe from me. Day or night, I will come for them."

Alexis nodded and said, "Then if you hurry you can catch her in the middle of one of her farty sermons. You sure you're ready to actually kill her? I mean yeah you've killed some bad guys, but this is a woman you've fought for years. I get the sense that you're still trying to justify all of this, but trust me it is different when it's someone you know."

Beth sighed before donning her hood and saying, "I'll take your word for it, but yeah I'm sure. Before I forget here, take this."

Alexis held out her hand to catch what looked to be a small cylinder that felt a little heavy in her hand. She frowned as she began to toss it up and down before asking, "What's this supposed to be? Some kind of secret weapon?"

Beth shook her head as she said, "No, it's a beacon Jake and I used to use before he…" she trailed off unable to voice his fate.

Alexis held the thing close before saying, "Huh, I don't know if you guys changed the design after I stomped so many of them or if I just stopped paying attention to them. Either way, why give it to me?"

"It works two ways," Beth started, "If you find yourself in trouble while I'm gone, press the button and it'll lead me to you, and the same goes for me. I'm trusting you by giving this to you, so don't screw me on this."

Alexis waved her off saying, "Yeah, yeah trust and hero bullshit same cat different coat. Hurry up or you'll miss your chance, and good luck."

Beth nodded her thanks as she exited the house. She still couldn't believe that she was stuck with this God awful foot odor for life, but it was a small price to pay for the added agility. She was certain to make sure that Megabutt suffered before her defeat. Still, as she headed back into the city the words of Alexis rang out in her head. Would it really be that different to take the life of someone she had known? Sure Mebabutt had been an enemy for years upon years, but she still knew the woman. She attempted to push the thought aside and any doubts that came with it as she came to the outskirts of Metropolis.

It didn't take her long once she reached the city to find Megabutt's church. The shining statue of herself that stood outside the doors sent a wave of anger through her. She had never understood why the city allowed a villain and sadist like her to be allowed such freedoms. Religious freedoms be damned, this psycho was literally brainwashing people into a fart cult! She would bring about the end of all of it today.

It was a little after noon when she touched down outside the doors, and she decided to make as grand an entrance as possible. She stomped up to the doors and delivered a powerful kick to them that sent them flying open. She felt eyes upon her as she strode into the church, and it didn't take long to find her target. There sitting atop a throne with a poor man beneath her was one of Metropolis' oldest enemies: Megabutt. Beth tried to remain as calm as possible as she walked up the aisle, and Megabutt was the first to speak, "What do we have here? A new devotee to this pathetic city's God, or are you just a fool looking to challenge me?"

Beth stopped about ten feet from the tyrant, and she looked around the chapel. Countless men and women sat in pews and some knelt down in praise, but all eyes turned to her. "I've come to put an end to you and your disgusting tyranny," she said through the voice modulator, "Stand and face your death, or sit there like the coward that you are. The choice is yours, but by the end of this you'll realize your mortality."

Megabutt threw her head back and laughed, "Such arrogance," she taunted, "Another hero come to become one with my glorious butt. I think I'll enjoy breaking your spirit, bring her to me."

A group of her drones rose upon command and approached her. Beth watched them carefully; she knew they didn't have control of themselves, and she didn't want to kill any innocents. She waited for them to approach before she sprung into action. One man lunged for her, but she sidestepped with ease and delivered a series of punches to his back that brought him to his knees. She drew a pistol and brought the butt down onto the back of his head; he grunted as he fell to the floor. A second man dove for her, but she ducked and quickly rose with an uppercut that connected with his gut. He grunted as he fell to the floor, and she brought her boot down on his head. She made sure not to apply enough pressure to kill, but between the force and the stench he was rendered unconscious in a second. 

There were four more that approached, but the voice of their God stopped them in their tracks, "Enough!" she yelled as she rose from the poor soul on her throne, "This one has some spirit, and it has been too long since I've had a decent fight. Stand down, the lot of you! I will deal with this one myself, and show this city once again that I am its one true God."

The drones drudged off back to their seats, and watched as Megabutt slowly descended down the stairs from her altar. Beth watched and felt her skin crawl as the gassy titan approached. Megabutt brought a hand to her ass and cupped it before blasting a wild torrent of gas into it. She hurled the foul ball of gas at Beth, but thanks to her hood it did nothing except irritate her. Megabutt cocked her head to the side as Beth said, "That pathetic trick won't work on me, you bitch. You'll have to fight me the old fashioned way."

A smirk graced Megabutt's face as she charged and said, "Very well, face the wrath of a God!"

Beth was barely able to dodge the punch that Megabutt fired, but despite her speed she found herself receiving a strong kick to her gut. She grunted and recoiled backwards before Megabutt used her signature power and expanded her ass; she rammed it into her, and sent her flying backwards. Beth landed with a thud and a skid that sent her into the pews. Several were overturned as before she stopped. That had hurt more than she expected, but she wasn't about to give up. She pulled her pistol out and opened fire, but Megabutt was too fast. She took to the air and easily avoided the gunshots until Beth's clip was emptied. She looked to her gun as a panic began to well up within before she felt herself being lifted into the air by the throat.

Megabutt held her by the throat, and she could feel the pressure on her windpipe growing at an alarming rate. She threw herself forward in an attempt to kick the gassy titan, but Megabutt simply gave her a rough shake that caused her kick to falter. Her breathing was becoming difficult as Megabutt said, "As all heroes, you are weak and pathetic. Before I make you into a loyal follower, let's see who's under the mask shall we?"

Beth struggled and clawed at the titan's iron grip, but it did nothing to stop her. Megabutt brought her free hand underneath her hood, and in one swift motion had it removed. She grinned upon seeing Beth's face before saying, "My cushion has come home! I was simply going to gas you into becoming one of my followers, but since it is you, Elizabeth, I think it will be more fun to break that little hero streak with a beating."

She rose another few feet before diving down and driving Beth's body into the ground. A shockwave was sent out that knocked several citizens and pews backwards. Beth coughed as the grip on her throat was released, and she rose to her feet in a shaky manner. She swung at Megabutt, but she dodged it and took a firm hold of her wrist. She pulled it back in a painful armbar that forced Beth to her knees. Beth grit her teeth and spat out, "Fuck you, you sick bitch!"

Megabutt leaned in and began to whisper in her ear, "Such rebellion from the lesser half of a dynamic duo. You always were pathetic, Elizabeth, you only ever served a purpose as a seat. Then again, your little bird brained friend was quite pathetic as he begged for his life."

Beth felt her eye begin to twitch at the mention of Jake. Taunting her was one thing, but Jake had nothing to do with this. "Shut. Up," she growled.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve?" Megabutt continued to taunt and apply more pressure, "You know he suffered at the hands of my sister. The fool actually believed that he was doing a valiant effort to save you and this wretched city, and once more he believed that she actually cared for him. He truly was a bird brained moron."

Beth could feel a white hot rage building within her as Megabutt continued to speak. She began to shake in her grip as she once more said, "Shut. Your. Fucking. Mouth!"

Megabutt laughed in her ear as she continued, "I'd say I don't know which of you are dumber, but it was obviously him. Letting you go is what cost him his pathetic life, but don't worry in time you won't even remember him. You should know, that my sister will bring him back just to have him as a personal sex-toy. After all, that's all he ever was and all he will ever be, even in death."

Beth felt something inside of her snap at those words. Could Goth actually do that?! A newfound hatred bubbled to the surface as her muscles tensed up. She reached down with her free hand and produced a small knife from her boot. She spun the blade in her hand, and with a heart full of hate she drove it into Megabutt's side. Megabutt released her arm and staggered back with a cry of pain. Beth slowly rose to her feet and raised her head as she said, "I told you to shut the fuck up. Now, I'm going to make you truly suffer before I kill your disgusting ass!"

Megabutt glared at her as she removed the knife from her side. It wasn't a deep enough wound to do serious damage, but no one had ever had the audacity to stab her before. What gave her pause was the look in Beth's eyes. They held no light, only hate. She snarled before smirking and saying, "There's a dangerous hunger in those eyes of yours. If I wasn't a God maybe I would actually feel fear."

Beth didn't move as she spoke, "It's a bad time to be a God right now, and before I'm done with you, you will know fear."

"Insolent little bitch!" Megabutt yelled before launching herself into the air for a diving punch. 

Beth sidestepped the punch, and it left a small crater in the ground from the impact. Megabutt growled in anger, but before she could retract her arm she cried out in pain. Beth took the opportunity and drove her boot through her elbow, and a sickening snap echoed throughout the church alongside the pained scream. Megabutt looked at her now broken arm with wide eyes before turning back to Beth. It was all the opening she needed, and Beth seized it with ferocity. She delivered a combination of punches to her old foe that quickly put her on the defensive. With one arm, however, she found it increasingly difficult to block, and instead found herself taking the brunt of Beth's assault. Beth finished her combination with a rising axe kick that knocked Megabutt into the air.

She stopped herself by taking flight at the last minute. Beth slowly stepped forward and retrieved her hood before putting it back on. It felt like putting on the hood of an executioner, and for the first time since beginning this quest for vengeance Beth fully embraced that role. She pulled her guns out and Megabutt taunted her, "You worthless little ant! I am a God, and what are you? A miserable speck compared to me! What are you going to do, shoot me?"

Beth tossed the guns to the ground and said, "You aren't worth the bullets, and that would be too quick for you. No, I want you to feel every ounce of pain you inflicted on this city!"

Megabutt laughed at her as she said, "You think I need both arms to beat you? You are nothing compared to me! I will crush you and absorb you into my ass!"

Beth pulled out her grappling gun and fired it at Megabutt. It wrapped around her, but she didn't bother retracting it. Megabutt began a rapid ascension, and quickly began wild maneuvers in an attempt to shake her tag along. Beth held tight to the cable, and with new drive she began scaling it. It took some time, but soon she was at Megabutt's feet. She took out another knife, and with devastating force plunged it into her calf muscle. The titan howled in pain and began trying to kick her attacker in a vain attempt to shake her off. Beth felt the boots of her enemy collide with her hood, but she wouldn't be deterred. She proceeded to pull the blade downward, and splashes of crimson splattered her hood as the wound grew in size. Once she reached her ankle she removed the knife, and by that point Megabutt couldn't take it anymore. The two plummeted to the ground in a heap.

Megabutt crawled away from Beth in an attempt to escape. Beth rose to her feet and dusted herself off. She slowly began walking in a menacing manner. The two had landed near the altar, and Megabutt found herself on the steps as she turned and yelled, "Stay back! Get away from me!"

Beth paid her no mind as she continued to advance. She held the still bloody blade in her hand as she neared her victim. She savored the terror in Megabutt's eyes as she knelt down and drove the blade into her thigh. "Or what?" she asked, "Where is that Godly wrath you spoke of?"

Megabutt swallowed and said, "You won't kill me! You're a hero, and heroes don't take lives, they save them!"

Beth tilted her head to the side as she said, "I'm no hero, not anymore. I am the spirit of vengeance, and I've come for you. You're going to send a message for me to that cunt you call a sister."

Megabutt began to panic as she pleaded, "Wait! Killing me won't bring Jake back! Please don't do this!"

Beth smiled beneath her hood as she said, "Oh I know it won't, but it will make it clear what happens when you fuck with the people I care about. Now scream for me, and just know that no matter how much you beg, no matter how much you scream, no one is going to save you."

Megabutt didn't have time to question her as Beth removed her hood and planted a kiss on her forehead before taking a firm hold of her face. Her eyes went wide as she watched the blade of the blood stained knife approach her eye. She screamed as Beth slowly drove the blade behind her eye, and began to carve it out of its socket. She screamed bloody murder for what felt like eternity until finally her voice began to grow hoarse. Beth finished her carving and showed her her own eye. Tears streamed from her remaining eye while blood flowed from the open socket. She weakly asked, "W-why?"

Beth looked at her with cold hate and said, "An eye for an eye and all that. Now, since you wanted to be a God so fucking bad why don't we make you into just that. Come here you filthy bitch."

Beth stood and pocketed the dripping eyeball, and proceeded to take hold of Megabutt's hair. She dragged her up the stairs, and as she screamed she felt a deep satisfaction inside of her. She threw her against the wall, and held her good arm up and outstretched. She took the knife and plunged it into her palm to hold her in place. She repeated the process with the broken arm, and when it refused to move she gave it a thorough jerk to put it in place. Megabutt sobbed as she was forced into place, but Beth took it another step further by cutting her wrists. She stepped back and admired her handiwork. Megabutt stood crucified in her own church at her altar. "Enjoy your God hood, you worthless excuse for a villain."

She turned when she heard a loud clap from one of the pews. She looked around and saw Alexis standing and clapping, "Bravo! Bravo!" she said as she walked out, "Oh man the brutality of it all is just so...impressive, and that line," she paused to lower her voice, "Scream and know no one is going to help you. Oh my God that was perfect! I knew you had it in you Kitty Cat."

Beth wasn't in the mood for games and stormed up to her demanding, "How long have you been there?"

Alexis laughed as she said, "Pretty much since the beginning. You didn't think I'd miss this did you?"

Beth glared at her behind her hood and asked, "Why the fuck didn't you help me when she had me pinned?!"

Alexis smirked and said, "Because you'll never know how far or how strong you're willing to go and become until you're pushed to the limit, and from the looks of things you're willing to go pretty fucking far! Honestly, I couldn't have done it better myself. Oh, would you stop glaring at me. I would have stepped in if I really thought you were in danger, but I knew you could handle it. After all you're The Feral."

Beth looked at her quizzically, "The Feral?" she asked.

"Yup that's what the city's been calling you," Alexis said with a grin, "Pretty accurate considering you just fucking crucified one of the city's biggest villains. Anyways, I thought you'd be interested to know that there's a meeting tonight between the crime bosses and one of Goth's personal court members."

Beth sobered up and quickly forgot her anger at Alexis and asked, "Who?"

Alexis' grin widened and it turned almost evil as she said, "Pamela."

Beth felt a rush of anger flood her veins at the mention of her name. Pamela was Goth's star pupil, and the one who had first informed her of Jake's punishment. Her eye twitched as she asked, "Where?"

Alexis answered as she turned to leave, "A cabin on the outskirts of the city. One of Jake's old getaway locations, but I'd hurry if I were you. The cops are already here because of the disturbance, I gotta go but the address is in the pew."

With that the agile psycho was gone. The sounds of sirens outside filled her ears, and she debated sneaking off or not. She decided that she would face this to head on. She walked to the doors of the church as several cops entered the room. Their guns trained on her as one of them said, "Freeze!"

Beth bent down to pick up her guns before addressing them, "I would stand down if I were you. Let me pass, I'm not your enemy here."

Another cop spoke up, "Like hell you aren't! You just murdered a woman!"

Beth looked back to Megabutt before turning and saying, "In one hour I've done what your heroes failed to do for years. That woman has killed countless and brainwashed more than that. She's no longer a threat to my city, and I'll say it again: I am not your enemy. Lower your weapons, or I will put you down to. I don't want to, but my business isn't finished yet."

The cops looked between one another before one of them lowered his gun and said, "She's right."

Another one looked at him and said, "John you can't be serious! Look at this mess, she has to be brought in."

A female cop spoke up as she holstered her gun, "Carl, Megabutt killed over half of our brothers and sisters. I'm not saying this is right, but if you ask me she got what she deserved. Let this one go."

Slowly the guns were lowered until all that remained was Carl. He groaned as he put his gun away and said, "Fine! Get the hell out of here before I change my mind."

Beth had the note from Alexis in her pocket and headed out. She took note of a syringe wrapped in the note. She opened it and read it:

You'll need this if you're going to take on Pamela. It's a neurotoxin, and with it she won't be able to do anything until you're done. Have fun, and make sure they suffer!

Beth looked at the syringe and put it in her pocket as she fired her grappling gun. She was off into the afternoon sky before anyone else showed up. She intended to make good on Alexis' request. They would suffer, every single one of them especially Pamela.


	4. A Night to Remember

Beth had decided to make a quick stop by a local pawnshop for a resupply and to pick up an additional item. The meeting wasn't until tonight and currently it was just a little after one, so she had some time. The cabin was a good ways out, but she wanted to make sure she had everything she needed. She was going to make sure that not a soul left those woods alive, and as an added measure she was going to use Pamela to drive her message home. 

She entered the pawnshop with her gear still on, but her hood tucked under her arm. The place was several blocks from the Church of Megabutt, so she wasn't worried about drawing unwanted attention from the local police. The clerk looked up as the bell sounded; a middle aged man who was balding, and sported some dirty clothes to go with a rather perverse face. Beth paid him little heed as she set about trying to find what she needed. It didn't take long for her to locate the ammunition she needed, .357 rounds for her twin pistols, and soon after she spotted a camera on sale. She called the man over and asked about the price. He smiled as he asked, "Doing some hunting or are you looking to have a little fun?"

She stared at him with cold eyes for a moment while she debated her answer. "Both," she finally said.

His grin widened and his yellow teeth began to show as he said, "Tell you what, the price is about three fifty for all of that, but I've got some bootleg DVDs in the back. You seem like the type of girl who enjoys a little pain maybe a little gore, I've got one that's a real gem. Birdboy getting his ass handed to him and getting used by what's her name...Katlyn I think or maybe that crazy Footgirl chick. Class A stuff, buy these and I'll throw in one of your choosing free of charge!"

Beth stared at him for a moment longer while her blood began to boil. She closed her eyes and slowly made for the exit. The thought of watching Jake suffer once again made her sick and spiked her anger. She supposed a little warm-up before tonight's festivities couldn't hurt. She reached the door and turned the open sign around before locking the door. She heard the man calling out to her asking what she was doing, but she didn't bother answering as she put her hood back on. She walked back over to him and before he could say anything grabbed the back of his head. He was about to protest when he found his face smashed into the glass case he stood over. He groaned from the impact and went to stand. He reached for a gun under the counter, but Beth was too fast for him and she once more rammed his face into the glass this time shattering it.

He let loose a pained cry and fell backwards. Beth leapt up onto the remnants of the counter before kneeling down to stare at him. Men like this were nothing more than a poison to her city, a cancer waiting to be removed and she was the surgeon to do it. She hopped off of the counter and placed a boot on one of his hands. He cried out as she began to grind the sole of her boot on his fingers, and the sounds of bones cracking began to fill the small shop. She stepped off before kneeling down and pulling out her pistol. She aimed it at his head before saying, "Say cheese," and pulling the trigger.

The gunshot rang out and the place fell silent. She looked around the place, and decided that after she took care of the security feed she would help herself to what she needed. There was plenty of ammo and she would take the camera to ensure that Goth knew she was serious. It was sure to make for a meaningful message, and one that she would never forget. Actions have consequences and that went for everyone, even those that believed themselves to be Gods. 

Beth went through and stocked up on various magazines, boxes of ammunition, and even spotted a few grenades tucked behind the counter. She scowled as she pulled out the box; this explained where some of the city's villains and mobs got their weapons. She would have to be sure to investigate other pawnshops once her business with Goth was concluded. She decided that before leaving the small establishment that she would have a look for those DVDs the shopkeep had mentioned. She couldn't leave things like that just lying around, and while it wouldn't bring her friend back it would be a way to preserve his legacy.

She searched the shop front for a bit, but came up empty handed. She remembered hearing the man say that they were in the back. She made her way towards the lone door in the back and pushed it open. Things looked fairly average, but she knew something sinister was hidden from view in this room. She began combing through various boxes and containers to find the aforementioned DVDs. After the third box she hit pay dirt; a large box containing multiple DVDs covering a wide variety of fetishes. She became more disgusted when she noticed more than a few that contained underage girls. She had done the city a favor by killing that pervert; she finally found the one she was looking for, but she couldn't leave the rest just sitting here. She decided that the best option would be to burn these infernal things after she dealt with the security footage. With a few quick movements she successfully erased the footage of the day before grabbing the box and exiting out a back door.

She came out in an alleyway where she dumped the contents of the box. She realized that she didn't have any fuel or a lighter so she turned to leave, but a familiar voice gave her pause, "You've had a busy day."

She turned back to see Alexis leaning against the opposing wall. When had she gotten here? She was certain she hadn't been there when she exited the shop. "Why are you following me?" She asked.

Alexis pushed off of the wall and walked around the discarded pile of DVDs that formed a small pile in the alleyway. She inspected a few of them before wrinkling her nose in disgust. She produced a small vial from her pocket as she said, "Just thought I'd check in and see how things are going. Didn't expect you to be out murdering pawn brokers, but after seeing this I can't say I blame you."

Beth watched as she emptied the vial's contents onto the pile before her. "Is this supposed to be another one of those 'we're not so different' talks because I am not in the mood," she said.

Alexis threw her head back and laughed as she said, "Oh I don't think I need to tell you that anymore. No, I'm just noting that I probably would have done the same in your situation is all. You get everything you needed for tonight?"

Alexis produced a matchbook and handed it to Beth with an eager look on her face. Beth took it and said, "So you're saying you have some morals. You play the hero when it suits you, is that it?"

Alexis nearly doubled over laughing at her question, "Hardly," she said proudly, "I'm nothing more than an agent of chaos. I thought you would understand the clarity that comes from chaos by now, but I guess you just haven't gone far enough down this road. You're not getting cold feet are you?"

Beth scoffed as she struck the match and tossed it onto the heap of disks at her feet. She watched as the fire immediately sprung to life and the disks began to dissolve into an unrecognizable mess. "Hardly," she said coldly, "I'm going to make that bitch suffer, and then I'm going to send Goth a little gift to return the favor she did me."

Alexis grinned as she watched the rising fire and said, "Oo someone is getting creative~ I like this new side of you. Keep this up and you might have a secret admirer."

Beth rolled her eyes behind her hood as she began to walk away, "Yeah, you can keep that shit to yourself," she said, "I want nothing to do with whatever clarity you have to offer, and besides last I checked I wasn't interested in girls."

Alexis called after her, "I seem to recall having you at my feet more than once, and you never know what the future holds Kitty Cat!"

Beth shook her head as the memories of being forced to worship Footgirl's feet came to the forefront of her mind. She shuddered as the familiar taste of toejam and sweat entered her mouth along with the memory, but pushed it aside. She had a job to do and needed to get moving. Her little detour had taken longer than she anticipated, and she didn't want to keep her company waiting.

Pamela sat in a large upstairs room waiting for the city's crime bosses to arrive. She'd taken the liberty of setting up a large table in the open room for her little meeting. She felt a bit excited at the prospect of being revered with the same fear that Goth received. She was grateful for the opportunity she had received, and she looked forward to demonstrating just what the will of his Black Matron could do when obeyed without question. She checked the time and noted that she had roughly half an hour before her 'guests' arrived. 

She stood from her large char at the head of the table and began double checking her appearance. An ornate mirror hanging on a nearby wall showed her near pristine reflection. Platinum blonde hair that fell down over her shoulders and framed her strong angular face. She checked her makeup to ensure it would have the desired effect; her eyeshadow and lipstick seemed satisfactory and were as black as midnight in stark contrast to her olive skin. She nodded to herself and prepared for the arrival of the city's crime lords. Her job was simple, instill faith and loyalty or instill fear of the consequences. She wasn't going to fail her Goddess on her first official outing as an emissary for her.

The cabin was fairly remote and was nestled deep in the woods outside of Metropolis. It was far beyond the city limits, and it would make the ideal spot for a discrete meeting. Beth had been here a few times with Jake before everything spiraled out of control. The last time she had been here it had just been the two of them, and they had wrestled with the conflict of potential feeling versus the responsibility to their city. She felt a pang of regret for not pushing the subject further, but reminded herself that she couldn't change the past no matter how hard she wished she could. She pulled a pair of binoculars she had swiped from the pawnshop and surveyed the area. Several cars had been arriving and various individuals in fancy clothes exited the cars before heading inside. She silently seethed with rage and anticipation for the night's events, and she began checking her equipment. This would be a night that would haunt these people even after death.

Pamela sat still and silent as the last of the envoys entered the room and took a seat at the table. She waited until everyone was settled before addressing the room, "I'm glad you all could make it, your Goddess has been hearing that there is some...unrest amongst your little operations."

One of the women stared her down with a skeptical look before speaking up, "Who the fuck are you supposed to be? I was under the impression that the Goddess was going to be meeting us personally."

Pamela narrowed her eyes as she stood up and approached the woman. She was a rather stout looking specimen, but behind the facade of bravado she put on she could feel her fear. It grew as she approached and began speaking, "Such insolence from a pathetic weakling, you assume that you Goddess has nothing better to do than to meet with petty criminals? I assure you that she is a busy woman, and that you should be grateful that she has sent one of her court," she paused as her eyes began to glow and she looked deep into the woman's eyes, "As for who I am, I am the right hand of your Goddess and you may refer to me as such. My name is not to be uttered by such pathetic, sniveling weakling, and I suggest you watch your tone, Marcie, before I decide to teach you what respect is."

Marcie began to convulse as Pamela invaded her mind. She was weak and had taken to crime in a vain attempt to compensate for past failures. She had cut a bloody path to the top of her little organization, but deep down she still struggled with feelings of inadequacy and deep seeded fear. Pamela closed her eyes and broke the link as she looked away from her and back to the group. The stunned stares of the men and women spoke volumes to the shock and awe that radiated off of them in waves. She drank in their fear and savored it; she was positive that she would be showed the respect she deserved by these whelps now. One of the men cleared his throat as he spoke, "Alright, we get it you're a powerful witch like the Goddess. No disrespect intended there, just saying that you don't need to show us anymore...tricks. We came here because we all want to make sure that we have the protection you and your Goddess promise."

Pamela tilted her head and began to walk around the table as she spoke, "I assure you that whoever is attempting to cause your operations harm will be found and dealt with. Whoever they are, they are no match for myself let alone the Goth Goddess herself."

One of the men scoffed as he said, "She was certainly a match for Mega Butt."

Pamela eyed the man suspiciously and asked, "What was that?"

The man shook his head as he spoke, "The Feral paid a visit to Mega Butt's church this afternoon. She not only beat her, she fucking killed her. Crucified her in her own church of all fucking things; this mother fucker isn't backing down, and forgive me and anyone else for being nervous about who's next."

That was news to Pamela. She hadn't expected to hear that this evening, and she wasn't looking forward to informing Goth of the death of her sister. Maybe she would take one of these sniveling cowards back to Citiville with her and have them explain. She could use another toy since her last one had broken so easily, perhaps Marcie would be fun to play with. "You're telling me that this...Feral I believe you called it, killed Mega Butt?" she asked.

One of the men slammed his fist down onto the table as he said, "Yeah and my guess is she's probably coming for us tonight."

Pamela scoffed before saying, "I assure you that this meeting is extremely private and only those in this room are privy to this location."

"Is that right?" the man asked, "That freak knew about the clocktower and that was supposed to be a secure location. How the hell do you know that they're not already here?"

"I will remind you to watch your tone," Pamela warned, "I will overlook your tone due to your fear, but raise your voice to me again and you will suffer a fate worse than death."

At that moment the lights suddenly shut off. Pamela narrowed her eyes at the strange coincidence. Something didn't feel right and it wasn't the fear that permeated the room. "Shit they're here!" someone yelled.

"Calm down, it's just a simple power outage," she said with more than a little annoyance.

Beth had made her way to the fuse box downstairs before deciding to pay a visit to the filth up stairs. She cut the power and pulled her pistols. The meeting was being held upstairs and the few guards they had assigned to the bottom floor met a quick and bloody end by her blades. She wanted the element of surprise and intended to show everyone here the meaning of fear, especially Pamela. She slowly made her way up the stairs and double checked her pistols for the slaughter that was about to happen.

A figure cast a terrifying silhouette as it rose from the darkness of the stairs. Pamela strained her eyes to make out who it was, but she couldn't recognize them. A storm had began to move in outside and a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the room giving her and everyone a glimpse of just what the individual looked like. A heavy coat with baggy pants and boots underneath that all rested beneath a strange looking purple hood. She looked to her side as one of the men cried out, "Shit they're here! I fucking told you!"

Beth looked around the room waiting for someone, anyone to make a move. Her hood had night vision and her eyes quickly found Pamela standing beside a dazed looking woman. "How kind of you all to get together for me," she taunted, "You chose a nice spot for your final resting place. None of you will be leaving this place alive."

Pamela snarled at the boldness of this person, how dare they interrupt her? She locked in on their emotions and was immediately hit with a searing hatred directed at...her? Who the hell was this person? It didn't matter, she would find out once they were dead. "What are you all waiting for?" she demanded, "It's one person, kill her for me and your Goddess. Prove your devotion here and now, and earn the protection you crave!"

Beth watched the room for any sign of movement and took aim at the first one standing and spoke, "She's right! Let's kill this-"

He never got to finish his sentence as a bullet lodged itself in his skull. That was all it took for hell to break loose in the room. Men and women alike threw their chairs back and began shambling about the dark room. Gunshots rang out and thunder boomed from outside as they began firing wildly in an attempt to finish her. Beth took off in a crouched dash and headed for the person closest. She threw an arm around his knee and yanked him off of his feet. He yelled as he hit the ground, but she silenced him with a deadly stomp of her boot. The sickening sound of his skull crushing filled her ears, and some part of her savored the sound and the feeling.

The man close by watched the exchange and began to panic, but she quickly wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him to her. She used him as a shield as she fired several consecutive shots across the room. Six shots for six criminals and all but one fell to the ground. The man she held twitched and convulsed as his body was filled to the brim with lead. She heard the shots cease and decided it was time to move; she gave the man's body a hard kick that sent him careening into a nearby criminal that fell under the weight of his ally. Beth rushed by him and produced a knife before launching down to his flailing form. She had to move while she could, she didn't have long before their guns were reloaded.

The sounds of slides hit her ears and she dove into a slide that knocked a man's legs out from under him and sent him to the floor. He landed on top of her and began attempting to get a handle on either her or his gun, but she was prepared for it. She snaked a leg one of his and gave it a firm twist that sent a loud pop between them before he screamed. She rolled over on top of him and placed the barrel of her gun in his mouth before firing. Blood splattered her clothes and hood, and as she heard footsteps hitting the ground behind her she turned and opened fire. Bullets ripped through a set of knees and howls of agony began filling the room. She was just warming up as she rose from the dead man's body.

Pamela was in shock as she watched The Feral rip through these men and women. These were supposed to be trained killers and mob bosses, and whoever this person was, was running through them like they were civilians. She made an executive decision to put some distance between herself and the slaughter that was quickly filling the room. These weaklings could survive and bring her the corpse or they could die by their hand, but she wasn't about to stick around to find out what happened first. 

She bolted out of the room and pulled out her phone. She needed to let Goth know what was going on and fast. The sound of gunshots and wails of pain and terror still filled the air as the phone rang. Her Goddess answered in an annoyed tone, "What is it Pamela? Don't tell me this assignment is proving too much for you already?"

She was a little distraught and forgot her formalities as she spoke, "Goth! There is someone here and I don't know who they are, but they are tearing through these criminals like child's play!"

"Calm yourself, Pamela," Goth said, trying to reassure her, "Whoever it is you can handle them. Remember what you have learned and you will be fine. Steel yourself and bring them to me alive or dead."

Pamela steadied her breathing as she said, "Yes my Godess it will be done."

The line disconnected and she heard the distorted voice from The Feral calling her, "Pamela~ where~ are ~ you~?"

She bared her teeth as she was blatantly mocked. How dare this Feral taunt her, she was a student of the Goddess and her right hand. She clenched her fists as she summoned her strength and prepared for the oncoming battle. She was in an open hallway with various items scattered about; small tables, a large mirror, a few candles, and various other objects here and there. The figure came into view and she took hold of one of the tables, but refrained from hurting at her. "Here I am you pathetic wretch!" she said.

Beth grinned beneath her hood as she saw Pamela with one hand outstretched behind her back. She was a telekinetic like Goth and she was planning on surprising her with it, but Beth was well prepared. Getting close to her would prove to be no small task, but she hadn't come this far to lose. Pamela would suffer just as Jake had and be the final instrument in her message. She continued her slow approach and holsteded one of her pistols; she would need a free hand for dealing with the little witch. Little being a relative term as she unfortunately found herself looking up to her eyes.

Pamela waited until The Feral was halfway to her before launching the table at her with a confident smirk. Her face fell when, to her surprise, they leapt into the air and kicked off of the table to propel themselves forward. She took a step back before pulling the table back in the direction of her attacker, but to her dismay they fired their gun behind them and shattered the small object. Frustrated she began taking hold of whatever was nearby and flinging at them. Much to her irritation they proceeded to dodge the objects or blast them to bits with deadly precision. One of the bullets rocketed towards her leg, but she had a trick up her sleeve. She had been studying under Dilatrix and had learned to manipulate small pockets of time in confined spaces, so she used her newfound power to slow the bullet long enough for her to move out of the way.

Beth watched as her bullet seemingly stopped mid flight and Pamela easily dodged it before it resumed its trajectory. That was new, but it didn't matter, she had a plan. "You've learned a new trick," she said passively.

"Who are you?" Pamela demanded.

"I am what you made, Pamela," she replied.

That threw her for a loop. She hadn't created anything or anyone, such abilities were beyond her power. She narrowed her eyes as she took hold of the large mirror on the wall and said, "You lie, I haven't made anything."

She launched the mirror, but it was quickly shattered and shards of glass sliced her pristine skin as The Feral said, "Oh but you have. I'll make sure you remember before this night is done."

This was growing tiresome and more than a little annoying. Pamela roared as she summoned everything she had and hauled The Feral by hoisting her up. She strained to hold her, but all she needed to do was choke them out. It wouldn't take long and she taunted them, "If you won't tell me who you are then I'll see for myself once your unconscious."

Beth tossed a flashbang down as she was lifted into the air. She still had control of her arms and began firing blindly in an attempt to distract Pamela. It worked and she found herself dropped to the ground; she landed on her feet and prepared to rush forward. She waited for the grenade to go off, and fired a few more shots to keep Pamela occupied.

Pamela held up her hand and stopped the oncoming bullets as she taunted, "Is that the best you can muster?"

Beth grinned as she said, "You're easily distracted, let's see how well you can cast while blind."

Pamela furrowed her brow, but looked down as something touched her boot. Her eyes went wide as a small object released a loud bang that both blinded and deafened her. Her senses were rendered useless except her sense of touch. She felt a hand wrap around her neck and something sharp stick her there. She grunted and struggled, but soon found herself losing consciousness. The little shit had injected her with something, and the last thing she thought as everything faded to black was revenge.

Beth grabbed Pamela's body as it went limp and began dragging her to the balcony. She had spent a lot of time out there with Jake, and it seemed a fitting place to conduct her business. She slid the door to the balcony open and heated Pamela's body outside; she was heavier than she looked, but then again she was taller and technically dead weight at the moment. She set her against the railing and turned to head in and retrieve her bag from downstairs, but she gave her body a good kick for good measure. She swore that she would make her suffer and beg before this night was over. She removed her hood as she entered the cabin and pocketed it; she wanted her and Goth to see the face of their demise and know that this was all because of them.

Pamela slowly began to stir, but her head felt heavy. Her mouth was dry and it was difficult to focus. Whatever that little shit had injected her with wasn't out of her system yet, and she tried to move her arms. She scowled when she realized she was bound to something by handcuffs. What the hell was going on? She squinted as a figure came into view. It was The Feral, no, the closer they came she noticed a familiar shade of pink hair. She looked up at her attacker and asked, "Kitten?"

Beth walked up to Pamela's bound form and crouched to look into her eyes. She had cuffed her hands together to keep her from fighting too much, but she had left her legs free. She wanted a little fight from her prey, but something told her the toxin that Alexis had given would prevent even that. She narrowed her eyes at the pet name Pamela insisted on using as she said, "Not anymore, Pamela, I am The Feral and all thanks to you and Goth. I should really take a moment to thank you, if it wasn't for your words that night I might not have become what I am."

Pamela tilted her head as she tried to understand what she meant. It was hard to think straight, but she managed to ask, "What are you on about?"

Beth smirked at her as she quoted her, "Heroes are pathetic, predictable, and weak or don't you remember? Your words and that...that damned video your Goddess sent me gave birth to a new breed of hatred, and now...now you get to witness it first hand. Smile for the camera Pammy."

Pamela snarled at her as she saw the camera positioned not far away. If she could just focus enough she could get out of this and make the little bitch suffer, but no matter how hard she tried her mind wouldn't cooperate. "What do you want, Kitten?"

Beth stood and went to her bag to produce a large knife. She had been saving this for a special occasion, and what better one than this? She brandished it at Pamela as she walked back to her and said, "What I want is for you to suffer just like he did. I want you to beg me for mercy, for your life, and then before I'm through I want you to beg me for death. The choice is yours, you can either beg me and maybe I'll give you a quick death, or you can suffer in silence until I'm through. Either way I'm sure you've noticed that you can't do much, but don't worry soon I'll give you something to focus on," she paused to turn back to the camera before continued, "I hope you're watching closely because this is nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you."

Pamela swallowed as a creeping fear began to set in. She was right, she couldn't use her powers and she was starting to get nervous. Surely, the great Cat Girl couldn't be serious. This had to be a ploy of sorts, but then she remembered one of those weaklings saying she had killed Mega Butt. Her doubts were put to rest as she felt the cold steel of the knife drag across her thigh. It moved at an agonizingly slow pace, but the pressure and pain were immense. She bit her lip in an attempt to stave off the pain and soon the blade left her skin. She sighed before gasping as she felt it return to the opposite leg, and this time the pressure was increased. She fought back a scream as she realized that not only was the blade serrated, but Beth was sawing at her leg. She closed her eyes to block out the pain, but she felt a hand roughly grab her face as Beth said, "Look at me, look at me and suffer!"

Pamela opened her eyes to see Beth's face mere inches from her own and a grim expression on it. She tried to summon her mind control powers, but all it did was make her head hurt. She was powerless to stop her and completely at her mercy. She winced as she felt the tip of the blade begin to work its way into her arm. She held out as long as she could, but when Beth began to twist the knife she screamed, "Stop!"

Beth grinned as she continued to twist the knife. She would stop when she was ready and not a minute sooner. Once the blade was halfway into her arm stood and left it embedded in her flesh. She intended to pay back everything Goth had done to Jake, and she had snagged a tool just for this. She strode over to her bag of tools to retrieve a whip. She hadn't had much practice with it, but what better than a living and sadistic target. She unfurled the whip with a devilish smile as Pamela's eyes fell on it. She began to kick against the restraints, but all it did was delay the inevitable. She wasn't going anywhere except straight to hell, and she wasn't going there until Beth was ready. She reared back and gave the whip a fierce crack as a roll of thunder sounded out along with a pained scream from Pamela.

Pamela watched as the whip lashed out and struck her. She winced as it connected with her face, and as she felt warm blood began to trickle down she suppressed a whimper. She tried to prepare for the next strike, but there was no way to prepare for something like this. The cracks were wild and without direction, but they found her all the same. Her skin and clothes began to tear as the rough material ripped them both asunder. She gave a wail of agony as the pain continued to come, and she tried to find some way to block out the pain. She could still use her empathic abilities and decided to try to focus on Beth. The hate rolling off of her was nearly overwhelming, and she nearly abandoned the tactic until she felt something else. There was something behind that hate, but it was buried deep beneath it. She began focusing on unraveling whatever it was; she had to do something to combat this near constant pain she was in.

Beth lost count of how many times she'd cracked her whip, and the concept of time was lost in the heat of the moment. She stopped to examine the bloody form of Pamela before her. A tattered dress and olive skin stained with fresh crimson from the myriad of cuts she had received. She noted that despite the many, many lacerations she had, she was no longer crying out. Beth took a long slow break before deciding to move on to the next part of her evening. She dropped the whip and reached into her inner coat pocket to produce a few small knives. These were the ones she normally reserved for throwing, but tonight they would serve a new purpose. She approached her victim and took hold of her hand in preparation for what was to come.

Pamela fought through the sting of the whip to concentrate on unlocking the secret that Beth had hidden so deep. It was the only thing that kept her from succumbing to the bubbling pain both inside and out. She didn't notice her hand being grabbed over the sudden spike in emotion from Beth, but she certainly took note as an ungodly pain hit her. Her concentration broken, she looked down to see Beth slowly driving the tip of a blade under her fingernail. Her screams began once more as the pain began flooding her senses. All her thoughts went to finding some way to stopping this sadistic torture. She had stayed strong for as long as she could, but she finally broke and began to beg, "Stop! Please just...sto-ah!"

Beth had finally gotten what she wanted to hear out of Pamela, but there would be no stopping and no mercy this night. She wiggled the knife beneath her nail as she asked, "Did she stop when he begged? Did she show any mercy to him?"

She began seething with rage as the film replayed through her mind. She left the knife embedded in Pamela's fingernail as she moved on to the next one. Pamela began to cry as Beth worked the next blade under her nail. "No, but please, please this isn't you," Pamela said as she began to sob.

Beth glared down at her and gave the knife a sharp twist that caused her to howl in pain. "You don't know a thing about me," Beth said coldly, "Even if you did, the day he died is the day the old me died. This all because of your Goddess."

Pamela couldn't stop herself, as the pain overwhelmed her she blurted out, "He's alive!"

That gave her tormentor pause. The painful sensation of the knife wedging itself under her fingernail subsided, but the fierce ache remained. She panted as tears rolled down her cheeks, and she forced herself to look up into the face of Beth. Her empathic abilities had resumed, and as she looked into her eyes a subtle understanding began work through her mind. Pain, that was what was behind the hate rolling off of her. The mention of hope that her friend was alive had brought it to the surface if only for a moment, but it wasn't just the pain of loss she felt. No, this was more complex than that. The pain was a mixture of loss and feelings of weakness blended with inadequacy. The longer they sat there, the more she began to unravel the mystery before her. This girl, this hero blamed herself for Jake's death even though it all rested on his own shoulders. It wasn't just her coming to Citiville that elicited the pain, it ranged back to the events in the tower. Beth blamed herself for everything that had happened to Jake, but it wasn't her fault. These feelings were all consuming and what had given way to the intense hatred she felt. 

Pamela felt a strange and unexplainable urge that she couldn't quite understand. She felt the urge to...comfort Beth? Something about the pain the girl felt was so raw and overwhelming and she couldn't wrap her head around it. Of all things to feel in this moment, why was this what it was? Where was this coming from? These feelings and questions swirled about her head as she watched Beth suddenly stand up. She couldn't bring herself to look away from those eyes stained with hate and hurt.

Beth stood in front of Pamela and had her own mental war waging inside. She couldn't be telling the truth, could she? This had to be a ploy to save her own wretched skin, but if Jake was alive...no she'd watched him die and couldn't afford the luxury of hope anymore. The conflict within herself began to manifest itself in an ugly way on the outside. She clenched her fists and threw a wild punch at Pamela's face as she said, "You lying little bitch, you would dare to give me hope? For what?! To save your own life?! I watched him die!"

She began throwing more and more punches without thinking or aiming. Tears threatened to spill out as she continually beat Pamela. She delivered countless punches, but she received no response from the woman except for some labored breathing. She was still alive, but she wasn't begging or arguing. All she was doing was staring at her, and it was beginning to get a bit unnerving. "Say something! Anything! Beg me, hate me, just...say something!" Beth demanded as she continued to beat her.

The beating went on for some time, but Pamela couldn't bring herself to say anything. Something about the eyes that stared her down with crystal tears dotting the edges was all consuming. She wanted to reach out, to touch her, to take away the pain and tell her it wasn't her fault. She could do none of those things as in her bound state she was being continually brutalized. All she could do was stare her down and hope to convey her feelings, but it didn't look like that was working. It had been a strange night and certainly unexpected, but all she could think about was the pain that this girl felt right now.

Beth began to get frustrated and she could feel tears beginning to stream down her face. She screamed out of frustration and confusion as she drew her knife. Why wouldn't she say anything?! In a split second decision she quickly slashed the blade across Pamela's throat. She watched the red droplets begin to pool up and run down her neck. This wasn't her first kill and by now she should have been used to it, but something in those eyes was unsettling. It almost looked as though Pamela were sorry, but that couldn't be right. She was one of Goth's disciples, a prized one at that, and she was supposed to be as heartless as Goth. Then why did this sting so much? She couldn't understand it and it tore her up inside. Between the possibility of Jake being alive and this, she didn't know what to make of it. She stood there motionless and watched the life leave Pamela's eyes; the whole time her gaze never wavered, and she remained focused on Beth.

She walked to the camera and killed the video feed. Once that was done she walked back up to Pamela's body. She stared into the lifeless eyes for a moment before closing her own. She slowly and gently put her hand on her face to close the woman's eyes. She gave her lifeless form a parting look before taking a deep breath and gathering her things. She removed her knives, rolled the whip up, and retrieved the camera before putting the items in her bag and heading to the edge of the balcony. It had been a strange night, and as she fired her grappling gun to a nearby tree a single flash of lightning cut across the sky. The thunder boomed as she flew through the night with a somber attitude.

Alexis was sitting on her couch when Beth entered in. The smell of blood and her feet hit her first. She inhaled deeply as she said, "You smell like death, and I love it."

Beth removed her hood and set her bag down before shaking her head and saying, "You're so fucking weird."

"Not my fault you can't take a compliment," Alexis said before asking, "So~ how'd it go?"

Beth began removing her coat and boots as she said, "It's done."

Alexis gave a mock pout as she said, "Oh come on you gotta give me more than that! Did you have any more good lines?" she paused to imitate Beth's serious tone, "You'll suffer and beg me for death," she stopped to laugh before continuing in her normal voice, "Give me the details!"

Beth turned and snapped, "I said it's done! Can't you just leave it at that?"

Alexis looked at her with surprise and asked, "Jeez was it that bad? What the fuck happened out there?"

Beth looked down and contemplated telling her. She was a sworn enemy once, but now the crazed girl was one of the only friends she had. It felt strange to think of Footgirl as a friend, but these were strange times. She decided to open up and she sighed before speaking, "Before I finally killed Pamela she just...kept staring at me, but that wasn't what got to me. She had this look in her eyes like she was...remorseful or something. By the end of it she just kept staring as I beat her and slit her throat. Even as she bled out that fucking look never left her eyes, and it was...unnerving to say the least."

Alexis gave her a confused look as she spoke, "So you tortured her and beat her, but all she did was stare at you? That's fucking weird even for me."

Beth nodded as she said, "Tell me about it, but that's not all. Right before she stopped screaming and begging she said...she said that Jake is alive. What if I'm doing all of this for nothing? If he's alive then I've been murdering and maiming for nothing, and the worst part of it...part of me doesn't care and doesn't want to stop. What is wrong with me?"

Alexis gave her a serious look as she jumped over the couch and put her hands on her shoulders. She looked into her eyes as she said, "Nothing is wrong with you. I told you we aren't that different, but there is one difference. You're doing this for a reason, and if Jake is alive then you need to find out. If he isn't then you'll get your revenge, but you need to see this through either way."

Beth looked at her before smiling and chuckling, "That...actually makes sense," she said.

Alexis let go of her and walked off before calling back, "Yeah well, don't get used to it and for fucks sake don't tell anyone that. I've got a reputation to uphold here."

Beth shook her head at her newfound friend. She was certainly crazy, but she wasn't all bad. She followed behind her as she entered what used to be a kitchen. Between discarded and filthy dishes and the stench of rotten food, the phrase used to definitely fit. It looked more like a storage room for trash, but she watched as Alexis grabbed a bottle from one of the broken cabinets. "What are you doing?" she asked as Alexis began pouring.

Alexis looked at her like she was stupid as she said, "Don't tell me you heroes never drink because I will call bullshit so fast. Looks like you had a rough night, and I find that the best thing you can do after days like today is to get drunk. We can either drink to forget or drink to remember Jake, but either way don't be a little bitch. Here."

Beth took the cup that was thrust at her and looked into it. The smell of cheap whiskey hit her nose, but she didn't care about cost or taste. As much as she hated to admit it, Alexis was right. It had been a rough night and she could use a drink, so she turned the cup up and let the burn of the alcohol overtake the strange feelings welling up inside of her. The two continued to drink well into the night until they each passed out on the couch. Tomorrow would be a new day, and one to remember. Though drunk, they both agreed that Beth's message needed to be sent and resolved to send it tomorrow morning. Goth and her cronies would learn what was in store for them soon, and whether Jake was alive or not Beth vowed to make each of them suffer for what they had done.


	5. Reunion

The rays of sunshine that crept through the cracked windows were what woke Beth the following morning. She groaned as she opened her eyes; her head was pounding. Maybe she overdid it a bit with the whiskey last night, but in truth she couldn't remember how much she'd drank. She stretched in an attempt to loosen her stiff muscles, but her foot connected with a face. She looked down to see Alexis fast asleep by her feet; she rolled her eyes at the girl. Alexis didn't make a secret of her foot fetish, and when it came to feet she didn't have a preference between men and women. The whole situation made her a little uncomfortable and she decided to give the girl a little kick to wake her up.

"Ow," Alexis said as Beth's bare foot lightly connected with the top of her head, "What the hell was that for?"

Beth sat up and glared at her before asking, "What the fuck did you think you were doing? Who the hell said you could sleep down there?"

Alexis sat up and stretched herself as she said, "Okay, first it's my fucking place so I don't think I need permission to sleep anywhere. Second, you weren't complaining last night when I was playing with your feet."

Beth balked at her remark and tried to stammer out a reply, "I-I what?! What the fuck are you on about?!"

Alexis grinned and sauntered over to her flustered new friend. Clearly Beth didn't have much of a tolerance to alcohol and couldn't remember the night's events, but she could. She decided to savor this opportunity and milk it for all it was worth. The blush on Beth's face was priceless and she knew it was about to get worse, "You don't remember?" she asked innocently, "Let me refresh your memory, after your third glass last night you got a little...open to suggestions. All I did was offer a little foot rub and you ran with it, I never thought that Ms. 'I'm Not Into Girls' would be the one to make the first move."

Beth backed up and tripped over the couch as her face began to burn, "S-shut up!" she said, "That's bullshit and you know it!"

Alexis nearly doubled over with laughter, "Maybe it is maybe it isn't," she said, "Guess that's for me to know and you to wonder. I will say what is true is that you definitely didn't put up any fight when I started fondling those feet."

Beth shuddered at the image as she stood and walked around Alexis, "Fuck you," she said.

Aleix couldn't help the grin that spread across her face, "That's twice you offered that!"

Beth yelled back as she looked for some aspirin, "Shut. The. Fuck. Up!"

Jake stood beside Goth with his leash resting on the arm of her throne. The draft that ran through the castle gave him a slight chill; he wished Goth would have let him just wear his suit. She had taken to assigning him outfits and his current one wasn't doing him any favors against the cold air. A tight mesh top and tighter leather shorts left little to the imagination, and more than once he'd caught some of the other occupants staring at him. It pleased Goth, though, so he would make due and endure. He was thankful for Nastia being assigned the task of retrieving some package that had arrived; her hungry gaze only added to his discomfort.

He stood at attention as the woman in question returned with a small brown box. Something was scrawled across the top, but he couldn't discern what it said from this distance. It wasn't until she stepped closer and knelt before Goth that he could read it. In big red letters were the words: You Did This to Them. He looked up to his Goddess with uncertainty and confusion to see if maybe she knew what it meant. Judging by the look on her face, she was just as lost as he was by the words upon the box. She soon gave the order, "Open it, Nastia."

Nastia nodded and set about opening the small parcel. Dilatrix stood on Goth's other side and calmly said, "I wouldn't advise opening that here, my Blackest Matron, the contents are...most disturbing."

Goth looked over to her and then back to Nastia who had paused in opening it in response to Dilatrix's objection. Goth waved her off and motioned for Nastia to continue. She nodded and resumed the process. Once it was open she reached in and immediately recoiled in disgust, something unusual for the green haired villain. "What the actual fuck?!" she exclaimed as she dropped the package and an eyeball rolled out, "That's fucking sick, even for me!"

Jake had to agree with her on this one. Even as disgusting as she was, he'd never known her to mess with eyes of all things. He watched as his Goddess bent down to pick up the eye and inspect it. He felt a little sick to his stomach as she held it in her bare hand and rolled it around. Slowly, her face turned to one of shock then one of anger. Her eye twitched as she muttered faintly, "Chelsea."

Nastia spoke up as she continued shaking her hand in a vain attempt to remove the feeling of the eye, "Who in the fuck sends a goddamned eyeball to someone?!"

Aurora spoke up in response, "Someone wanting to send a message."

Goth rose from her seat and inspected the box. She found a small casing with a disk labeled: What's to Come. She tossed the case to Jake who caught it and looked up at her. "That is the eye of my sister," she said with no small amount of rage, "Play that, Jake, I want to see who is foolish enough to stand against a God."

Dilatrix stood in between him and the small projector that was setup nearby. She held out a hand in front of him and looked to Goth, "The contents of that disk are not something your court should see," she said, "I strongly advise against playing that here."

Goth looked to her with eyes beginning to glow, " Do not question me again!" she exclaimed, "Play the fucking disk!"

Jake didn't need to be told twice and he stepped around Dilatrix to do as he was commanded. He placed the disk in the machine and flipped it on. The wall adjacent Goth illuminated with the image of one of his old properties. He recognized the balcony, but what gave him pause was the image of Pamela chained to the railing. He squinted to make sure he was seeing clearly, but his eyes widened with the form of his best friend entering the picture. It was clearly Beth, but something was off. Her usual suit was gone and in its place was what looked like street clothes. Loose pants and a heavy coat adorned her figure as she went to kneel before Pamela. What was she doing?

He didn't wonder long as the room fell silent and they watched as Beth began brutalizing Pamela. He watched in shock as his friend shared some harsh words before she began cutting her. The slices were precise and deliberate, and what was most disturbing was the look on Beth's face. She didn't turn to the camera often, but when she did a sadistic smile that seemed more at home on his Goddess than his friend graced her features. It was more than a little off-putting and disturbing to see the malice in her face. He watched as Pamela fought back screams of pain; a feeling all too familiar within himself. The words of her friend stuck out in his mind, "I am the Feral, I want you to suffer like he did, I want you to beg me for death." What had happened to his friend and teammate and what did she mean like he did?

He winced as he heard Pamela scream for her to stop, and when Beth walked off screen only to return with a whip. Flashbacks of his time in the dungeon raced through his mind as Beth began lashing Pamela. Beth's aim was nowhere near as accurate as Goth's, but the strikes connected all the same. The wounds grew quickly and blood began to pool up around Pamela. This was wrong on so many levels, and he couldn't understand why Beth would do this. Word of The Feral had spread to Citiville and he figured it was someone sick of Goth, but he never would have guessed it was Beth. Pamela eventually stopped crying out in pain, something odd in itself, but Beth didn't let up for another few minutes. 

Things continued to escalate as he watched Beth begin to drive knives under Pamela's fingernails. Pamela's screams and pleas finally returned tenfold, and she said something that gave him pause. The words "He's alive" burst from her lips in an attempt for mercy, but Beth only seemed to become more engaged. He watched as Beth continued her torture, but his mind was trying to piece together what she was referring to. The whip, the mention of him twice now, and the sudden change were indicators too specific to ignore. Somehow, Beth knew what had happened to him in the dungeon. He couldn't quite figure out how, but his gut told him an obvious truth. He had seen a faint glow that night and was sure it was a camera. He buried the thought along with many others that spiked a fire of rebellion in him; it wasn't worth it to take a stand, not anymore.

The video took an odd turn at the end. Pamela had stopped speaking, pleading, and screaming while Beth seemed to grow in fury. Blind rage that seemed to fit the phrase breakdown seemingly overtook her. In the last moment amidst the screams of Beth the room watched as Pamela had her throat slit. What stuck out to Jake was her eyes; something in them didn't seem right for the situation. Something unfamiliar and foreign rested in Pamela's normally uninterested gaze, but exactly what no one could say except the woman that now lay dead at his cabin. The room was silent and eerily so for a time after the video ceased. Nastia broke the silence with a shocked and somewhat fearful voice, "Jesus fucking christ! Was that Cat Girl?!"

Jake watched the formidably repulsive woman shudder with anxiety over the contents of the film. Aurora was the next to speak with something between respect and rage denoting her tone, "Sure as shit didn't seem like her, but I'll be damned if it wasn't. Little bitch is creative, I'll give her that, hmph it almost makes me wish she was on our side."

Dilatrix remained silent as the reactions came about from the court. Murmurs of shock, awe, and fear seemed to overtake everyone until Goth rose from her throne once again, "Enough!" she exclaimed, "Elizabeth has made a grave mistake and will pay for her crimes against me and my own. I want her found and brought to me, and you my little Raven, are going to answer for her crimes until she is brought to me."

Jake paled at his Goddess' words. He backed up instinctively as fear welled up within him and began to twist into terror. He tripped and fell backwards before beginning to beg, "P-please Goddess I-I had no way of knowing this would happen!"

She yanked on his leash and pulled him to her. She brought him close to her face as she spoke, "You shouldn't have let her go, now my sister and Pamela are dead because of you!"

Things suddenly slowed down before the room came to a screeching halt. All that was left in motion were Dilatrix, Jake, and Goth. Dilatrix moved swiftly and separated Jake's leash from Goth's grip. He fell to the ground with a thud as Dilatrix spoke, "That is enough! This boy has nothing to do with what's happened. All of this is because of your actions, just as is his behavior. He covers at your approach like a wounded animal and heeds your word like it is law, yet you still continue to abuse him. You were the one who sent her that recording of your own accord, and I have seen across many timelines and I will tell you something. The ones where Jake is most loyal are the ones you treat him like a person. Continue down this path and you will drive your beloved further away and remove what chance you have of having him of his own free will."

Goth stared down Dilatrix for a moment. Jake was sure he was about to witness a battle for magical supremacy, but nothing seemed to be happening. Slowly Goth began to calm down as she looked between his terrified face and the unyielding gaze of Dilatrix. "I...forgive me Jake," she finally said, surprising him, "I am angry at the loss of my sister and student, but it isn't fair to take it out on you. Dilatrix is right, as much as it pains me to say it, this is just as much my own doing as anyone's. I will have Elizabeth's head for this, but I will spare your own."

Jake breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't going to be punished after all. He hated that Beth would suffer, but the choices she made had led her down this path. He had tried to spare her twice already, and she still continued to put herself in harm's way. Dilatrix spoke once again, "I knew you would see reason, dearest Matron, please forgive my outburst. I merely want what is best for you and your...pet. if I may, it is unnecessary to send your forces after Elizabeth as she's made it clear that she's coming for you. She will deliver herself to you, and you need only wait for your prize to arrive."

Slowly, the flow of time returned to normal as Dilatrix finished speaking. Her powers still terrified Jake, but he was grateful that this time she took his side. The woman was an enigma of sorts and he wasn't sure where her loyalty truly belongs. Still, not a single person dared to question her about it due to her unique abilities. He stood up and looked to his Goddess as she smiled devilishly. He knew that look, she had an idea that was both perfect and twisted. "You make an excellent point, Dilatrix," she said and began addressing the room, "Elizabeth shall indeed deliver herself into our hands, and I know just how to welcome her to her new home. She's clearly desperate to see my Raven, so Jake shall meet her upon her arrival with some of our thralls."

Jake almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. Goth wanted him to ambush Beth and apprehend her. His orders were clear this time, but he felt no small amount of apprehension about it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried to steel himself. Like it or not, he served a higher purpose now and if this was Goth's will then he would carry it out. "As you wish, my Goddess," he said as he bowed before her.

Beth stood in the living room of Alexis' place as she checked her equipment. The day had finally come for her to make the journey to Citiville, and she was both ready and anxious at the same time. She knew that this trip could be her last, but win, lose, or draw she had come too far to stop now. She loaded her coat down with spare clips, knives, and a few different grenades along with the smoke pellets from her days as a hero. It was funny how much had changed over the course of a week; she'd gone from a superhero to a killer in a short time, and in truth she didn't know if she could ever go back to her old ways. At least this way when she stopped the bad guys they stayed down.

The sound of footsteps caught her attention as Alexis entered the room. She looked at the disheveled girl she'd come to call a friend over, and she noted something devious in her eyes. There was something about the look in her eyes that struck her as odd, even for the crazed girl before her. "You all set for your little trip?" Alexis asked.

Beth nodded in response as she tightened her belt and holsters, "I am," she said before stepping towards the girl, "Before I go there's something I need to say."

Alexis grinned and said, "I knew you were gay!"

Beth's eye gave a twitch in annoyance at her remark. She really could turn anything into something perverse or stupid, and that thought made her infuriating and enduring. She brought her hand up and slapped the back of Alexis' head, "No you pervert! Can you just be serious for five minutes?!" Beth exclaimed.

Alexis gave a thoughtful hum before speaking, "That's not what you said the other night, and make it two and you've got a deal."

Beth blinked at her and decided not to touch that comment; she still couldn't remember the night's events anyways. She sighed and said, "Look, you've been surprisingly...helpful through all of this. I wouldn't have been able to track down Pamela and Megabutt if it weren't for you, and despite our past I find myself glad that our paths crossed. I never in a million years thought I'd say this, but I consider you a friend. For what it's worth, I think Jake would have been better off with you and maybe even happy."

Alexis stared at her in shock for a minute. She actually considered her a friend, and more than that she thought her and Jake could have worked? Of all the things she thought she'd hear from Beth, this was by far the last one. Up until this point, she'd been planning to use the girl as a distraction to skip town, but now she wasn't so sure. She shook her head to clear those thoughts; she was a villain and not some do gooder like Beth. Granted Beth wasn't much of a hero these days, but still the point remained the same! She needed to say something back, something to clear the air and ensure Beth wouldn't back out. "Listen," she finally said, "I'm glad you're sweet on me and all, but we just wouldn't work out," she paused to savor the irritated look on Beth's face. It was fun to rile her up, "I'm kidding, relax. For real though, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually do kind of like you. This new you is way more fun to be around, and I know you're going to make that bitch pay for what she did to Jake."

Beth's mind turned back to what Pamela had said the night of her death, "What if he really is alive?" Beth asked.

"Then bring him home," Alexis said with a sad smile, "If he's alive then you have to fight harder to bring him back. Don't let that overgrown cunt keep him any longer. Just...be careful."

Beth gave her new friend a smile of appreciation before turning to leave. She paused to ask, "You still have that beacon or did you already crush it?"

"No, I've still got it. I tried for old times sake, but I'll be damned if you guys didn't really reinforce those things. Why?" she said.

"In case I run into any complications," Beth said, "I may need your help."

"You'll be fine," Alexis replied.

"Famous last words," Beth said with a roll of her eyes, "Just keep an eye on it. It'll send coordinates to you if I press the button, all you have to do is follow them."

"Yeah, yeah," Alexis said, "Now get going! You've got a Goddess to kill!"

Beth gave a solemn nod as she exited the building. She'd retrieved her bike the day prior in preparation for her final destination. She mounted it and dawned her helmet with her hood tucked in her coat before taking off for Citiville. It would be a long ride, but she could use the time to think. 

Everything that she had done since her return from her first trip played through her mind as she rode. Jake's death had hit her hard and there was no doubt it changed her, but she wasn't sure if something changed or if something was awoken within her. It was almost scary how natural killing and torturing came to her. Was it because she'd spent so much time fighting the various villains over the years or was this something that was always there? It troubled her that she couldn't quite pinpoint just what the answer was, but whatever the case this was who she was now. Megabutt had awoken the animal within her, but Pamela had given her pause. She felt more like a devil than a hero, and in truth she didn't hate the feeling. She was what Goth had made her; a reckoning for the evil in this world.

The wind whipped around her as she rounded various twists and turns along the way, and her mind continued to wander. What was the likelihood that Jake was still alive? If he was, what did that mean for her? Would he still believe that Goth was some kind of benevolent Goddess or would he finally be willing to see her for what she really was? Hope wasn't something she had an abundance of these days, and even the thought of her friend alive didn't seem to do much to help that. The words of Alexis ran through her head, "Bring him home." It was weird to think that Footgirl of all people would make sense, but then again things had changed so much lately that she was calling the girl a friend. One way or another she was going to finish this tonight.

Time passed by as her mind continued to ponder the events and the possibilities of what was to come, but soon enough she arrived at her destination. She entered the outskirts of Citiville and continued onward. She was past the point of subtly and she fully expected a wave of goons waiting for her. She would put a stop to them even if it meant running them down; she wouldn't be stopped by anything or anyone.

Jake sat perched atop a rooftop waiting for Beth. Goth's spies had spotted her bike heading into the city at a rapid rate. He felt a little conflicted at the prospect of fighting his friend and more so at bringing her to Goth. He was all too familiar with what she could do when she was angry, and Beth had gone well beyond angering her. He wasn't sure if he could do this or not, but what choice did he have? He had a group of goons on the ground that he hoped would be enough to subdue her. Given the reports of The Feral, he found that possibility extremely unlikely. It was a safe bet that he would have to deal with her himself. That knowledge didn't serve to comfort him in the slightest, though, and it certainly didn't quell the conflict raging in his heart and mind.

He heard the sound of Beth's bike speeding down the street he overlooked. This was it, it was time to either do or die. He actually felt a little bad for the men below; he knew they didn't stand a chance, but maybe they could tire her out. He watched as the men stepped out of the shadows and into the dim glow of the street lamps. The light on Beth's motorcycle cut through the darkness like a blade through a think sheet.

Beth saw the silhouettes of Goth's thralls come out of the darkness. She grit her teeth and made a split second decision; she pulled to the side without releasing the throttle. The bike began to lean and at the last second she dismounted from it. Sparks flew as the heavy machinery crushed the legs of the fools who dared to stand in her way. She didn't count the men, but one of them tried to surprise her from the side. She quickly removed her helmet and used it to block an incoming knife. She followed it up by throwing her hand up and delivering a swift kick to his gut. She brought the helmet down on his skull before launching it into another oncoming goon. It hit the man square in the chest as the other one fell, and she was quick to draw her pistols. She opened fire and cut the man down before he could recover.

These men had been sent to their deaths, and she would make sure not one of them walked away. She went into a diving roll to avoid the gunshots that rang out across the city streets. She came up and returned fire. One of the other men cried out as the bullets collided with arm. She sidestepped a chain that was aimed at her head, and dropped to a spinning leg sweep to take out her attacker's legs. He fell to the ground and she was off again, but not before firing a single shot into his chest. One of the men was close to the side of a building, and she took off into a sprint before racing along the wall. She kicked off and her boot connected with the side of his face. He spun around as he fell to the ground and she immediately opened fire on the remaining men. In seconds they were on the ground in lifeless heaps. She ejected her clips and reloaded as she walked to her bike.

Jake watched the display in awe of the tenacity of his friend. In a matter of minutes, if that, she had mowed down a group of fifteen men. She wasn't playing around, no, she was out for blood. It was now or never, and with some reluctance he dropped to the streets in front of her. The red tint of his mask gave her an eerie appearance, but he wouldn't be deterred. Failure wasn't an option, but could he really treat her like an enemy?

Beth raised her gun as a figure dropped down in front of her. She faltered as the glow from the lamp brought him into view. There before her stood the visage of Jake. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped along with her gun. She wanted to rush forward and embrace him, but something felt off. Why was he here after Goth's cronies? The silence grew between them as they stated each other down. Disbelief hit her in waves and she finally asked, "J-Jake? Is that really you?"

Jake swallowed and released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He tried to steel himself and said, "Yeah, it's me. What are you doing Beth?"

Beth felt shook to her core. Her best friend was alive and well, but something about the tone in his voice didn't sit right with her. He sounded almost angry with her. "What am I-" she began, "I came here because of you. I-I watched you die."

That confirmed it. Dilatrix's words along with Beth's on the DVD meant that Goth had indeed recorded their session and sent it to Beth. Some far away part of him felt angry at Goth, but it was outweighed by his devotion to his Goddess. He willed himself to stay strong as he said, "You didn't watch me die, Beth, all you saw was what happened because you came to check on me. I let you go and suffered the consequences of that, and I won't make that mistake again."

Beth was taken aback by his statement. Did he really believe that what he went through was just? More importantly, did he really blame her? The words cut deeper than any knife ever could have, and her feelings of failure and self-loathing came back in full force. They were overtaken by anger in an instant as she lashed out, "So what? You're going to take me to Goth? How can you still be loyal to her after everything she's done to you?! What happened to you?!"

That struck a nerve, and Jake stepped forward and said, "What happened to me? What happened to you? I saw what you did to Pamela and we got your package from Megabutt. How could you? That was Goth's sister and her star student."

Beth clenched her fists around her guns; her trigger finger was starting to itch, but she wouldn't, couldn't shoot him. He had the nerve to question her after everything he'd done, after everything those two had put them through? She raised her gun at him and yelled, "I did what I had to do! Both of those women deserved what they got, and I did it because of what Goth has done to you and our home!"

Jake continued forward and drew his quarterstaff. The end crackled with electricity as it extended. "What are you going to do, shoot me? That's what you do now, isn't it? Go ahead, I belong to Goth and I won't be stopped by someone like you."

Beth kept her gun trained on him, but her hand began to shake. She couldn't shoot him, she couldn't. His words hurt more than anything, though, how could he still be so devoted after everything she had done? "Don't make me do this, Jake," she pleaded as he approached, "Please, after everything we've been through together am I really just a target to you?"

Jake stopped in his tracks as her words hit him. He was fighting a battle within himself already, but hearing his friend's question tipped the scales once again. He tried to remind himself that he was doing what he had to do, but even that didn't seem to help. He looked at her with sad eyes behind his mask, "Beth," he began, "I-I don't have a choice."

She closed her eyes and she dropped her arm once again. "Don't do this," she pleaded, "You know I can't let you take me to her."

Jake sighed and took a fighting stance, "You know I can't just let you go," he said, "You saw what she did to me."

Her heart broke as he moved in to attack. This was happening, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. She would have to fight Jake if she wanted to stop Goth, but she wasn't sure if she could. He brought his staff down in an arc that she dodged with ease. She expected a quick follow-up attack, but it didn't come. She should have seized the moment, she should have taken him down, but she couldn't do it. She could have easily taken him down without hurting him too badly, but something kept her from acting on it. She found herself simply staring at him with her eyes uttering a silent plea. It either went unnoticed or unheeded because Jake went in for another attack. He spun his staff in an attempt to disorient her and surprise her, but she knew his tactics and easily countered it. She blocked it with her pistols and the staff slid along the steel of their barrels before she pushed back and knocked him off balance. Once again she found herself halted in her tracks before she could launch into an attack.

Jake found himself struggling to stay on the offensive. In his time with Goth his tactics had become more ruthless, and in truth had become more effective. Something kept him from utilizing his new style in this fight, and he found himself slipping back into old habits. He cursed himself for it because he knew Beth knew his former fighting style too well, but he couldn't snap himself out of it. He launched into a roundhouse kick that she easily evaded, and he prepared for a counter that never came. This was going nowhere fast and he needed to do something. The memory of his past failure and the cost of it rushed to his brain, and he suddenly found a new will to fight. He moved forward while spinning his staff before bringing it upwards; Beth dodged it, but he was counting on it. He quickly switched the direction of the upward arc to a fast jab with the end that hit her in the stomach. She recoiled from the attack, and he capitalized on the opening. He made his way behind her and delivered a kick to the back of her knee. She went down and he brought the staff up around her throat. He hated himself for doing this, but a sudden sharp pain in his back reminded him that this was his new purpose.

Beth found herself in a sticky situation as the midsection of Jake's staff pressed against her throat. He was going to choke her out and bring her to Goth. Her instincts kicked in and she took hold of the staff with one hand to keep it at bay, but Jake was stronger than he looked. It wouldn't take long for him to overpower her; she had to do something about the staff and fast. She slipped her free hand into her coat and produced a knife. She pressed it to the edge of his staff and hoped it would be enough. He pulled backwards and the knife began to embed itself in the staff; it was working, and with a little luck she'd be free in a moment. She pushed forward with both hands, and the blade sliced through his staff. It snapped and she quickly rose to her feet. She aimed her gun at his head, but she couldn't bring herself to shoot him. She couldn't see his eyes, but the expression on his face was too much for her to act. She screamed as she aimed beside his head and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang out in his ear drum and sent him stumbling backwards. His equilibrium was off, and his hearing was temporarily rendered useless. He waited for the next attack to come and watched Beth carefully. She just stood there motionless. His hearing slowly came back, but with it came his hesitation. Beth could have finished him in that moment or the one before, but she had failed to do so twice. He watched as she closed her eyes and tossed her guns down before rushing him. She was going to try to fight him without weapons; he sighed and decided to honor her silent request by tossing the halves of his staff down.

The two friends collided in a half-hearted battle. Neither of them could find the will to fight with everything they had; Beth couldn't find the fire within her, and Jake couldn't combat the past they shared. Their strikes were slow and predictable, and the other easily countered whichever attacked. Jake batted Beth's fists away before finally linking her arm for a hip toss. She found herself on the ground awaiting Jake's next move, but once again it never came. She got back to her feet and asked, "You've had countless chances to end this, why haven't you?"

Jake stared at her for a moment before firing back, "I could say the same thing about you. You had a clear shot at me, but you didn't take it. Why?"

Beth's gaze softened at his question. Did he really not get it? She let her hands fall to her sides as she said, "Jake, do you really think I'd kill you? You're my best friend and I...I can't hurt you, I'd have thought that was obvious. I can't fight you...if you're going to take me in just...just do it."

Jake dropped his guard at her words. He'd forgotten what it felt like to have someone care so much about him. Was she really about to resign herself to whatever fate Goth had in store for her? "Beth I-" he started as his voice hitched, "I can't go back without you. She'll...she'll hurt me again."

Beth's heart was already broken, but his words shattered it and her will to fight. She couldn't let him suffer again; this time would be because of her. She couldn't kill him, let alone fight him, but she could save him some pain. She had one final shot at freeing him and maybe saving herself, though, she reached to her belt and pressed the button the beacon. "Jake, I can't let you go through that," she said, "I...just take me to her."

Jake couldn't bring himself to do it. Beth may have caused mayhem and pain to Goth, but she was still being selfless for him. Everything she had done, she had done because she thought he was dead. He closed his eyes and made a split second decision, "Just...go. Get out of here and I'll tell Goth you managed to escape. I'll take whatever punishment she has, but if you go to her she'll make you wish you were dead. Please, just go Beth."

Beth couldn't believe what she was hearing. Jake was willing to endure all the pain and suffering to save her; he still had the heart of a hero in him after all. Before she could respond a cold voice drew their attention, "How touchingly pathetic. I can't wait to tell Goth that her little pet was willing to let such a nuisance get away. She is going to be so angry with you."

Aurora approached with a smug look on her face. Beth's jaw clenched and her blood ran cold. This woman was by far the worst kind of villain, the one who delighted in misery and suffering. She was going to rat Jake out, and she wasn't about to let that happen. If Jake was going to let her get away, then she'd make it believable by killing the supposedly immortal cunt before her. She took a step towards her as her fire reignited and hate welled up within her.

Jake looked between Beth and Aurora. If she was here then that meant that Goth knew what was going on! He didn't think as he launched into an attack on Beth. He retrieved half of his staff and struck her in the back of the knee. She fell to the ground and he capitalized by delivering a spinning kick to her chest. He ignored the shocked look on her face as he brought his boot down on her head to knock her out. He looked to Aurora and said, "I had to make her think she could get away before I could take her out. I wanted her to think I still cared."

It was a lie and he knew it. If she hadn't shown up then Beth would be safe, but that wasn't what was meant to be. Aurora chuckled at his words, "Clever, I almost believe it," she said, "You're lucky you acted so quickly this time, but just you wait little worm. It won't be long before I get my hands on you, then maybe you'll appreciate how good you have it with Goth. Come on, pick the little bitch up and I'll grab her toys."

Jake did as he was told and hoisted Beth's limp figure on to his shoulder. He hated having to do this, but he didn't have a choice in the matter. He watched as Aurora retrieved Beth's guns before he pressed the recall button on his suit. Goth was going to be happy, but some part of him felt hollow as he teleported back to the castle.

Alexis was in the process of leaving her little squat. She'd packed up everything that mattered to her; Jake's suit, his hair, the yearbook, and some chemicals along with her favorite shoes. She had to get the hell out of town while she could. The odds weren't in Beth's favor and she needed this chance to escape. It was a perfect plan, but as she prepared to leave the little device she'd been given flashed red. She eyed it for a moment before deciding to ignore it. She turned to leave, but stopped as Beth's words entered her head. "I think Jake would have been better off with you, and maybe even happy."

She grit her teeth as her conscience suddenly slapped her. Of all the times for it to rear its ugly head it had to be now. She glared at the little beacon and stomped over to it. She picked it up and debated on crushing it or not. It would be so easy to destroy it and pretend it never happened, but she couldn't do it. "God damnit Kitty Cat," she said to herself, "You little bitch, you actually made me care about you. Don't die before I get there, and you fucking owe me one!"

With that she put on her old knee high converse and prepared to go to war. The last thing she wanted when this started was to get in the middle, but Beth had somehow managed to get to her. She moved with purpose as she exited her home and left her belongings behind. She'd steal a car and be there in no time; she couldn't believe she was thinking about it, but she prayed that the little minx would still be alive when she got there.


	6. Showdown With a Sadist

Beth awoke on a cold stone floor. She tried to stand, but found herself bound. Her arms were shackled together as well as her ankles. She grit her teeth as she felt herself being hoisted up. She looked up with contempt as she saw Goth smiling down at her. Beside her was Jake and to her side stood Aurora and Nastia. "Elizabeth," Goth said smugly, "I'm so glad you could join us. I got your little message. Tell me, was it worth it?"

Beth glared at Goth as she said, "I'd kill both of them again in a heartbeat you disgusting bitch. Go fuck yourself."

Goth stood from her throne and was on her in an instant. Her boot pressed into her chest with a crushing weight. "You miserable, disrespectful bitch!" Goth yelled, "You took my student and my sister!"

Beth grinned despite the weight on her chest as she said, "Hurts doesn't it? Losing someone you care about. You took my best friend and tried to take my city."

Goth removed her boot and walked away to regain her composure. She took a deep breath before saying, "Jake chose me, Elizabeth, and I haven't tried to take your city, I have. These are the first steps towards a new world where everyone serves me. I am the way, the truth, and the end of all things evil in this world. You, however, have earned the anger of a Goddess and will suffer for it. Take her to the dungeons, and Aurora, do not kill her until I give the word."

"By your word, Goddess," Aurora said with a hint of disappointment, "Come on you little bitch."

Beth jerked her arm away from the grip of Nastia and Aurora, "Don't fucking touch me!" she said with a menacing glare.

Nastia laughed and taunted her, "Ooo~ she really is like a feral cat! I can't wait to play with you."

"Go to hell," Beth spat at Nastia.

"You'll wish you were in hell soon enough," Aurora said as she picked her up.

Beth kicked and bucked against Aurora's grip, but it was useless while she was bound. She settled for yelling obscenities and promises of pain at them. All it did was earn laughs from the two women. She wouldn't let them break her, not without a fight. Eventually the trio reached the dark pit that was the dungeon. Aurora threw her against the wall before attaching her shackles to the wall. She grinned as she threw a surprise punch to Beth's stomach causing her to try to double over. "Aurora!" Nastia said, "Don't break her before I get my turn!"

Aurora flashed her friend a smile, "Relax, Goth said not to kill her," she said, "She didn't say anything about roughing her up a bit."

Nastia thought for a minute before smirking and taking her shoe off, "You make a good point," she said as she retrieved a handful of toejam, "Open up Kitty Cat!"

Beth went to insult the disgusting woman in front of her, but she found her mouth stuffed with the rancid gunk from the disgusting woman's feet. The taste made her want to vomit, but she refused to swallow. "That taste good?" Aurora asked, "Enjoy it because that's nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you!"

Beth glared at the sadist before her. She swished the gunk to one side and mixed it with her saliva before spitting at her. She smirked as the disgusting mixture smacked Aurora in the face. Nastia looked at her with wide eyes and took a step back. "That feeling good?" Beth taunted, "Enjoy that because once I get loose that'll be nothing compared to what I'll do to you."

Her smirk was wiped off of her face as Aurora cold cocked her in the jaw. She saw stars as the amazon woman's fist sent a wave of pain through her. She felt her strong hand take hold of her face and force her to look into her eyes. "You miserable, worthless, little bitch!" Aurora roared, "I am going to put you through hell before I kill you!"

Beth felt blood pool up in her mouth and once again spit into Aurora's face. "Tough talk from a big bitch," she barked, "Let me down from here and I'll show you what hell really is."

Aurora drew her fist back, but was cut off by Goth's voice, "Aurora! That is enough. You can have your fun once I'm through with her. Leave us."

Aurora turned to Goth before sneering at Beth, "This isn't over," she said.

"Not by a long shot," Beth countered as Aurora and Nastia exited, "What do you want? Come to gloat or are you hoping I'll beg? You can save your breath, I won't be giving you any satisfaction."

Goth smiled wickedly in response and said, "You think so lowly of me, Elizabeth, I'm hurt."

Beth glared at her, "Let me down and I'll really hurt you," she said.

Goth's smile widened as she said, "I don't think so, although even if you were free you couldn't do much. I just thought you'd like to see your friend one last time before Aurora has her fun with you. Come on in Jake!"

Jake had been standing outside the door to the dungeon with a sense of unease. Goth had decided to flaunt him to Beth in an attempt to break her spirit. She'd chosen a special outfit for him for this occasion, one that he'd worn a number of times when they were alone. A short skirt and a tight fitting spaghetti strap top that left little to the imagination. In all honesty he didn't mind the outfit, and it even felt nice to wear from time to time. He did, however, mind it whenever Goth used it to show her dominance over him to others. He'd worn it a couple of times in the castle halls, and the looks he'd received from everyone were hungry to say the least. The slight draft from the dungeon only added to his discomfort, and he wasn't really looking forward to Beth seeing him like this.

Beth glared at Goth, but her hard gaze faltered when Jake entered the room. His face was red and his eyes were downcast as he shyly stepped forward. If the circumstances were different she would have given him a lot of shit over the outfit, but now all she could do was stare at her feminized friend. She noted that he did somehow seem to pull the look off; an odd thought even under normal circumstances, but one that crossed her mind nonetheless. She turned her gaze back to Goth and resumed her cold stare, "You sick bitch," she said, "Why the fuck would you make him dress in that?"

Goth threw her head back and laughed, "You don't know your friend very well," she said, "That outfit is one of his favorites, isn't that right Jake?"

Jake's face turned red as he nodded and said, "I-it is Goddess."

Beth balked at him. Was he serious? She honestly couldn't tell if he was lying or not, "Jake are you serious right now?" she asked in disbelief, "You manipulative bitch! What have you done to him?!"

Beth ran her eyes over her friend as he drew closer. She hadn't noticed the copious tattoos that littered his skin. Strange symbols and pieces of Goth's bullshit scripture were covering nearly every inch of his body. She had seen a few in the recording, but she didn't realize how many there actually were until now. Goth spoke up and drew her attention again, "I haven't done anything that he didn't want me to. I simply set him free of his inhibitions and allowed him to be the person he was always meant to be."

"Bullshit," Beth said, "Nothing about what you do entails freedom. He is a hero not some toy for your amusement."

"He was born to serve," Goth retorted, "Being a hero has nothing to offer him or anyone. Just look at you, you've fought so hard only to have found yourself at my mercy."

"Fuck you, you stupid bitch!" Beth yelled, "You don't know anything and you're nothing but a fraud. You've manipulated him and lied to him, and I swear to God as soon as I get free I am going to end you!"

Goth's smile dropped as she looked deep into Beth's eyes. "Such a mouthy little thing you are," she said, "If you want to see the devotion I've earned then so be it. Lay down Jake."

Jake looked to Goth who shot him an expectant look. He swallowed nervously as he sat down before laying down on his back. He didn't know what was about to happen, but his gut told him it probably wasn't good. He really wished that Beth would have just stayed away, or at least stop antagonizing Goth. He stared up at the ceiling and waited for whatever was about to happen. The familiar scent of Goth's feet hit his nose, and he felt a bit excited at the prospect of being close to her feet. He almost forgot he was in the presence of Beth as Goth stepped forward and placed her bare foot on his face. He didn't need to be told, and he immediately began licking at her sole. The salty taste of sweat mingled with the powerful stench in a mixture that set him ablaze. He found himself lost in the moment as he lapped at her foot with unbridled eagerness.

Beth watched in disgust as her friend eagerly and greedily licked Goth's foot. She had suspected that he may have had a foot fetish for some time, but seeing it in action was...different. She didn't judge him for it by any means, but she did harbor some deep hatred for the woman who was attached to those feet. "What are you trying to prove here?" Beth asked.

Goth smirked and began to apply pressure to Jake's head. He stopped licking as the weight on his face increased, and he felt a little bit of panic well up in him. What was Goth doing? His question was answered as she spoke, "I could crush his little head like a grape beneath my foot if I wanted to. Do you know what the best part is, Elizabeth? I could simply kill him and bring him back like I did all those nights ago, and there isn't a thing you or anyone can do about it."

Jake felt his panic grow at her words. Had she done that? Did he die that night? If that were the case then how many times had this happened? He fought through the panic in an attempt to remain still beneath Goth; he didn't want to die, not here and not now. He closed his eyes as fear began to replace the panic and overtake him. He prayed to his Goddess that she would be merciful to him.

Beth watched as Goth continually applied more pressure while she spoke. She had to be bluffing. There was no way she would do that, would she? She chided herself thinking that she wouldn't kill him; she'd watched her do it once before. She tried to remain strong as she was forced to watch Goth torment him, but it quickly became too much for her. "Stop," she said softly as her eyes closed.

Goth smirked and asked, "What was that?"

Beth opened her eyes and glared at her, "I said stop."

Goth's grin grew as she continued to apply pressure, "Is that how you speak to a Goddess?" she asked, "If you want him to live then you'll ask properly."

Beth swallowed and slammed her eyes shut. She knew what she wanted, and she hated herself for what she was about to say, "Please...Goddess, please don't kill my friend."

Goth removed her weight from Jake's head and helped him up. She smirked at Beth as she turned to leave, "And you said you wouldn't beg," she taunted, "Predictable and pathetic as always Elizabeth. Enjoy your last little bit of time, I'll make sure to let Aurora teach you some respect. Farewell, Elizabeth."

Beth watched as Goth exited the room with Jake in tow. Jake spared her a parting glance full of regret before closing the door behind them. She thrashed and kicked at the wall in frustration. She cursed Goth and most everyone in this tower. She wasn't sure if she would find a way out of this, and if not then she had just spent her last moment begging Goth for something. She had given that psychotic bitch exactly what she had wanted, and it killed her inside. Her struggles died down as her mind turned to thoughts of revenge. If she could find a way out of here then she would make them really pay. 

She hung against the wall waiting for whatever fate was in store for her and planning a way out. Maybe she could surprise Aurora or maybe piss her off enough to let her down, but that seemed unlikely. The woman didn't seem like the type to care about a fair fight. She heard the door open once again and prepared for the worst; if these were to be her last moments she would make them count for something. She was surprised to see a familiar face and an all too familiar scent hit her nostrils. Her eyes widened as Alexis walked into the room, "Fucking finally!" she said as she saw Beth, "How many damn cells does a girl need?"

Beth felt both relieved and surprised to see her enemy turned friend walking towards her. Alexis rushed to her and pulled out a small bobby pin from her pocket. She started trying to pick the locks on her shackles and Beth tried to speak, "Alexis I-"

"Shut up," she said as she worked.

Beth tried again, "I just-"

"I said shut up," she said as she fiddled with the tumblers.

Beth glared down at her. She was trying to thank the girl for coming to help, but was getting frustrated at being cut off. "Would you just-"

"Oh my God," Alexis said as she met her gaze, "Do you honestly not understand the term shut up? I am trying to free you, you can flirt with me or whatever once you're down."

Beth's eyes went wide at her last comment. She felt her face flush a bit, weird considering she hadn't shared anything between the girl that she could remember at least. "That's not-" she started as she felt herself get flustered, "I mean-ugh just get me down already."

"I am working on it if you would shut up for a minute," Alexis said as she frantically worked the locks. After a few tense moments she finished and Beth dropped to the ground. She crossed her arms and smiled triumphantly, "Now you can talk or try to kiss me, again, or whatever you wanted to do."

Beth rolled her wrists about to loosen the tension that had built up in them. "Again?" she suddenly asked as Alexis' statement registered, "What the hell do you mean again?! I never tried to kiss you!"

Alexis shrugged as she said, "I guess technically you didn't try, you did, but hey don't take rejection so hard. You'll find a girl out there who digs the whole tough girl thing eventually."

Beth stared at her as her face began to burn. God she wished she could remember the other night. She couldn't tell if Alexis was lying or not and that only added to her ire. "Oh my God," she said, "Would you shut up about me dating a woman?! I. Am. Straight!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Alexis said with a smug look, "Oh and while you're at it, keep yelling because I totally came here to get captured to."

Beth closed her mouth and glared at the girl. She was still a pain, but she had saved her all the same. She sighed and said, "Valid point, for once, thank you for coming."

Alexis grinned, "Couldn't just let you die here," she said, "I tried, man did I try, but I guess you've grown on me a little bit. Now come on, we have to get out of here."

Beth shook her head at her, "I can't leave," she admitted, "Jake is alive and I can't just leave him here...what do you mean you tried?"

Alexis pressed her palm to her face in exasperation, "I mean I tried to abandon you and couldn't," she said, "You really are dense sometimes, you know that? How do you know it was Jake and not that Jason kid Goth totes around?"

Beth took a deep breath to suppress the anger that was building in her; Alexis had the nerve to call her dense? The girl who spent the better part of a decade stalking her best friend was calling her dense. The same girl who couldn't take a hint or no for an answer. She exhaled and decided to let the feelings go, she did just save her life after all. She looked back to her and said, "I know it was him," she said, "I fought him and Goth brought him down here to flaunt her victory over me. I'd know that face anywhere, even if he was in a skirt."

Alexis' eyes went wide, "He was in a skirt?!" she asked and when Beth nodded she snapped her fingers, "Damn I wish I could've seen that. I bet he looked adorable."

"Moving on," Beth said as she chose to ignore the previous statement, "I've got to get him out of here. You can go, I don't want you getting hurt. You've done enough by rescuing me."

Their conversation was halted as the door began to creak open. Alexis looked at Beth and whisper yelled, "Hide you idiot!"

Beth looked from the door for a moment before instinct kicked in. She leapt into the air and grabbed hold of a beam to pull herself into the shadows. Alexis mouthed the word go to her. Beth watched Aurora return to the dungeon with a look of joy on her face, "Alright you little bitch," she said before pausing at the sight of Alexis, "What are you doing here and where is that little worm?"

Alexis grinned at Aurora, "I remember you!" she said, "You're that sunny little bitch that came with Pammy! Well maybe not little, but you're still a bitch. Didn't anyone tell you it's not nice to chain up animals?"

Aurora growled as she stepped forward menacingly, "Where is she and what have you done? I won't ask again."

Alexis laughed as she said, "Didn't I already tell your dumbass? Footgirl only answers to Footgirl. I did what I always do, whatever the hell I want."

Aurora continued forward and Alexis dropped to a crouch, "If you won't tell me then I'll beat it out of you," she said, "I was already planning on killing someone anyways."

She lunged for her, but Alexis was too quick for her. She jumped out of the way and fired a kick to the back of her head. It didn't seem to phase Aurora, though, and she rose to her feet to throw a punch. It was a wild swing that Alexis easily dodged with a back handspring; she timed it perfectly and her foot connected with Aurora's jaw. It staggered the brutal behemoth and she was quick to capitalize on the opening with a rapid and furious combination attack. She launched into a precise and devastating series of punches to Aurora's midsection that caused her to recoil slightly, but all the attacks seemed to do was infuriate her. She finished her attack with a fierce uppercut that knocked the larger woman back a few steps.

"Ha and here I thought you all were supposed to be tough!" Alexis taunted, "You're all bark and no bite!"

Aurora growled as her eyes began to glow, "You worthless, insignificant little bitch!" she roared, "You're going to regret picking a fight with me more than helping that little worm escape!"

Objects scattered about the room sprung to life as they were lifted off the ground by Aurora's telekinesis. She snarled as she began hurling various items at Alexis. She dodged several objects and even managed to kick off one of the barrels that was flung at her, but for all her agility she still fell short. Her overconfidence proved to be her downfall; as she rocketed towards Aurora she found her throat in a vice like grip. Aurora slammed the poor girl to the ground with her hand wrapped tightly around her throat. She refused to release her and brought her back up with her before throwing her against the wall. Alexis gagged as she slumped down to the ground. She grabbed her throat and let out a hoarse laugh that grew into a fit of mad laughter. "You really are a fucking idiot," Alexis said without rising to her feet.

Aurora glared down at her, "What is so damn funny?!" she demanded.

Alexis' laughter continued to grow until she was silenced by Aurora's boot on her throat, but her smile never faded. "You...wasted...so much time…fighting me," she choked out, "You let Beth get away...you are...beyond stupid."

Aurora's eyes went wide and she removed her boot, but replaced it with her hand. She hauled her to the wall where Beth had been chained. She threw her into the wall and began shackling her hands to the wall and cursing, "You worthless little bitch, you were just a distraction! If I had time I'd cut that wretched little tongue of yours out, but lucky for you I have to inform Goth of this new development. Don't you worry, though, I'll be back to play with you."

Alexis grinned as Aurora walked away, "Oh I can't wait," she said, "Don't forget to let Goth know how incompetent you are! Better yet, leave that part out so I can tell her!"

The door slammed shut as Aurora left the room, and Beth took this opportunity to drop down. She needed to get Alexis out of here and fast. She rushed over to her and asked, "Are you alright?"

Alexis rolled her eyes, "Yeah I'm great I love getting my ass kicked," she said as Beth began fiddling with the locks, "Stop. You have got to get out of here."

Beth pulled back and looked at her with confusion, "What? No way I'm not leaving you here," she said.

Alexis shook her head and said, "I didn't come all this way to save your heroic ass just to have you get captured again. Let go of the hero bullshit for a minute, and focus on yourself for once. You need to get out of here and regroup; you're not going to do much without any of your toys anyways. Find your shit and save Jake, but forget about me."

Beth looked at her in shock. Alexis, the Footgirl who had terrorized Metropolis for years, was actually trying to sacrifice herself for her. What was happening? She shook her head again and tried to argue, "Alexis, they will kill you or worse. I have to get you out of here, maybe you can-"

"Beth, stop!" Alexis yelled before lowering her voice, "Maybe you rubbed off on me or maybe I've fully lost it, but I can't let you put yourself in danger for me. This is my choice, now let me have it. Go, save Jake and just for the record we wouldn't have worked out anyways."

Beth fought back a tear that threatened to spill out, but a sad smile graced her lips. "Shut up you asshole," she said, "You noble pervert."

Alexis grinned as she said, "That's me, but you left out crazy; I've got to be if I'm willing to throw my life away for yours, but that's what's happening. Now get out of here before they come back!"

Beth closed her eyes and swallowed the overwhelming urge to help as she turned to leave. She hadn't expected a real friendship to have developed between her and Alexis, and it hurt to leave her behind. It felt like Jake all over again the night he gave himself to Goth in the tower. She hated herself for doing it, but she would honor Footgirl's final request. She would find a way to save Jake even if she died trying.

As the door shut and sealed Alexis' fate she was left to hang on the wall with her thoughts. She began thinking out loud, "I really am batshit, giving myself up to save someone who's arrested me more times than I can count. Oh well, at least I can have some fun in my last bit of time! This reminds me of the time I spent with Katlyn last year, but something tells me this won't be quite as pleasant. What I wouldn't give to see Jake one last time before that big bitch gets her hands on."

The door swung open and Goth strode into the room, "I suppose I can grant you one final request," she said, "After all I am not without mercy. Before I grant you this wish, tell me Alexis why did you choose to help Elizabeth?"

Alexis smiled as her tormentor approached, "Why do I do anything I do?" she asked, "Because I feel like it or maybe it's because I don't like you. Anybody who stands between Jake and I is automatically on my shit list."

"You should have joined me when you had the chance," Goth said, "Now, you're going to suffer and for what? All you've done is buy Elizabeth a little more time before her inevitable demise, but since you're so adamant to see my beloved let's call him in shall we? Jake, come on in!"

Jake had been with Goth when Aurora burst into the room. The two had been preparing for some much needed intimacy before the interruption. He couldn't believe that Footgirl of all people had not only managed to infiltrate the castle, but that she had also freed Beth. He had hoped to change into his suit before Goth brought him back down here, but she insisted there wasn't any time. In hindsight it was a stupid thought that she would let him; he had almost failed to capture Beth before, and there was no way she would chance it again. Goth wanted to make an example of Footgirl and he was going to be the tool that did it. It didn't make him happy by any means, and he really wasn't looking forward to her seeing him in his current getup. He swallowed his pride and entered the cell for the second time tonight.

Alexis' eyes widened and quickly turned to a lustful stare as he entered the room. He already didn't enjoy being an object for Goth to show off, but being a spectacle for the girl who'd spent the better part of a decade stalking him made the situation worse. He blushed as she whistled and said, "Oh. My. God! I can't believe I'm getting to see you like this! That color really brings out your eyes!"

He squirmed in his spot at her words. Of all the people who could have seen him like this it had to be her. He thought Beth was bad, but that was nothing compared to this. He remained silent and found a spot on the floor suddenly fascinating. His embarrassment was heightened further when Goth said, "It does, doesn't it? Would you believe he picked it out himself?"

Why the hell was she agreeing with someone she was going to kill?! The last thing he wanted was for anyone to know that he had picked out the outfit months ago. He stifled a groan that threatened to spill out at Goth's words. "I can see that actually, he always did strike me as a little effeminate," Alexis replied. Why was this a conversation that was happening? He couldn't say, but he desperately wished it would stop, "Don't be embarrassed, Jake, it looks good on you. It's just a shame that it took such an ugly bitch to bring out this side of you."

Jake winced at Footgirl's comment; despite their past he didn't want to see what Goth would do if pushed too far. She was on her in an instant and had her face in her hand. "I will not tolerate such disrespect from the likes of you," Goth said before releasing her, "Clearly a woman like you doesn't recognize taste when she sees it, but Jake certainly does."

Alexis watched as Goth sauntered over to Jake and said, "Oh I know taste, and I know a bad taste all too well. My feet may stink, but at least the rest of me smells decent. You fucking reek! Having you that close really makes me feel bad for my Jake."

Goth pulled Jake close and he didn't resist. In spite of everything he did genuinely enjoy being close to his Goddess. He was a little nervous as to what was about to happen, though, and he wondered just what Goth was planning. "I think you need to see just how much he enjoys me," she said before pulling him into a passionate kiss.

His mind was torn at this moment. He had gotten used to Goth's breath some time ago, but he wasn't sure about being used in such a manner. Goth had used him to flaunt or demonstrate her power before, but it usually entailed showing him off not making out with him. He tried to block out the fact that he was being scrutinized by Footgirl and enjoy the makeout session. His attempt was made more difficult when Footgirl called out, "You're doing it wrong! If you really want to get a reaction out of him, you need to play with his left ear while you're doing that. Not the right, it's not as sensitive as the left."

Goth growled in the process of their little session, and he felt himself becoming weak. He loved the aggressive side of her, but this situation was far from ideal. He really wished Alexis would stop, but he really wished she wasn't right. He felt Goth bite his bottom lip before breaking the kiss to glare at Alexis, "Do not tell me what he likes and doesn't like!" she ordered.

Alexis shrugged as best she could in the chains and said, "Hey I'm just offering some pointers. If he's stuck with you, you might as well know how to please him; for the record, if you're going to bite him make sure to get his neck. He really likes that."

Jake was mortified at what was happening. Somehow this had gone from taunting, to a conversation about his dress, then to an exhibitionist session, and now his girlfriend was getting pointers from his stalker. "I am well aware of what he likes and doesn't like!" Goth barked and pulled him back into her embrace.

Her hand found its way to his left ear and began gently playing with the lobe. He craned his neck at the touch and released a small moan inadvertently. The hand gradually left his ear and began to lower itself to his waist. Goth snaked the hand up his skirt and gave his ass a squeeze that earned a jump and a yelp from him. She giggled at his reaction, but growled when Alexis began speaking again. "Wrong!" she yelled, "You're being too gentle with his ass. He might say otherwise, but he loves it rough."

How the hell did she even know that?! Furthermore, why was she telling Goth this? The only time he'd indulged that side of himself was on the occasional night off two towns over! His face was burning as embarrassment overtook everything other sensations that ran through him. Goth broke the kiss once more and spun on her heels to face Alexis. "I will not tell you again," she threatened, "Do not tell me what he enjoys! I know all too well that he likes it rough, but I am trying to show him some courtesy because I know this isn't where he wants to be. The last place he wants to have sex is in the presence of such a pathetically disheveled has-been who can't handle rejection!"

Alexis scoffed as she said, "Yeah says the girl who literally forced him to submit to her and is making him into an exhibitionist. I know I'm crazy, but you don't even realize you're delusional! I tell you what, though, I'm a nice person; why don't you unchain me and I'll show you how to properly fuck your boyfriend. You could certainly stand to learn a few things."

Jake's jaw hung open at that. At first he was a little touched that Goth was actually showing restraint, but that turned to mortification at Alexis' words. This wasn't going to go over well, and he was trapped here until Goth said otherwise. He took a step back as Goth huffed and stepped towards Alexis. "You think you can please him better than I?" she asked.

Alexis laughed as she replied, "Oh I don't think I know. Let me down from here and I'll prove it to you."

That was the last straw before Goth snapped. She lunged for the restrained girl and delivered a vicious punch to her jaw. "You will regret those words," she said as she began delivering several more blows.

Alexis took several hits to the face and to the gut, but her crazed smile never faltered. Goth relented for a moment and she turned to face her, "Is that all you've got?" Alexis asked, "I've been beaten harder by Jake and Beth, but here's a tip for you. Don't leave yourself open!"

She threw her legs up and wrapped them around Goth's neck with a wicked grin. Blood ran down her lip as she began to squeeze her legs together in an attempt to choke Goth out. The attack came as a surprise, but Goth was quick to recover. She placed a hand on her and ripped it from her throat; instead of releasing Alexis' leg she used her other hand to bend it at an unnatural angle. A sickening snap echoed off the cell walls followed by a cry of agony from Alexis; Jake felt his stomach turn both at the sight and the memory the sound stirred within him. "You insolent little slut!" Goth roared, "I am going to make you suffer before I finally kill you, and when I'm through I'll bring you back just to have Aurora show you what true terror is!"

Alexis' mouth twitched as the pain raced through her body. It was nearly overwhelming, but she still managed a wry grin followed by a final taunt, "Kinky, is this what gets you off? How many times have you done this to Jake?"

"Silence!" Goth screamed as her eyes began to glow, "I will show you why I am a Goddess and you are nothing but a lowly cur!"

Alexis tried to speak, but Goth's powers prevented her from opening her mouth. She could do nothing to stop the blows that began raining down on her. Strong fists of iron collided with her jaw and chest, and at one point she felt as though her ribs were about to crack. One of the punches knocked her head back into the brick wall behind her, and she felt more disoriented than usual as a concussion began to take root. The strikes were merciless and seemingly unending as Goth poured her untempered rage out onto the poor girl. She stopped for a moment only to reach up and take hold of Alexis' hand and begin crushing the bones in them. A series of painful cracks flooded her ears followed shortly by an insurmountable amount of pain. Tears began to well up in her eyes on their own as the pain continued to grow. 

Jake watched the display with a sense of dreadful terror. He knew this would be how it ended as soon as Alexis opened her mouth. He had hoped to avoid the sight and let Aurora be the one to deal with her, but he knew Alexis wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut. As he watched the brutality before him, his mind flashed back to his night in this very cell. He began to hyperventilate as the sight before him warped into his own twisted image of himself in Alexis' position. He tried to maintain a grip on reality, but seeing this was reopening the wounds that had only just begun to heal. His perception was beginning to bleed into the past, and try as he might he couldn't stave off the memory.

He closed his eyes in a vain attempt to stop the flashback and to block out the image in front of him. He knew better than most the extent of Goth's cruelty and rage, and whatever Alexis had done in the past she didn't deserve this. Time seemed to stand still for him as the beating went on, and he almost wondered if Dilatrix was nearby. In reality it had only been a few minutes of brutality, but it felt like an eternity for him. Crippling and debilitating fear crawled around in him as he heard the sounds of ragged breathing hit his ears. He opened his eyes to see Goth with a hand outstretched and Alexis hovering off the wall. She was choking her as a final demonstration of her power.

Alexis fought to keep her manic grin on her face as she was lifted into the air by an unseen force. The feeling of her windpipe being crushed made the task difficult, but she wasn't one to back down from a challenge. The sounds of the chains that bound her rattling as she was moved up the wall were the only accompaniment to her garbled breathing. Her circulation was being stolen away and her face began turning an ugly shade of purple. Her eyes widened and looked as though they were about to pop out as the world around her began to fade to black. At the precipice of unconsciousness she was released and color began to reform in her vision. She gagged and greedily sucked in air as she was released from the unholy grip of a mad woman's powers. She went slack in her binds as Goth approached, "Any last words?" she asked coldly.

Alexis stole a glance at Jake and coughed before weakly saying, "You would have been so much happier serving me."

Goth snarled as she took her head in her hands and gave a sharp twist. A disgusting and terrifying snap rang out, and Jake felt his stomach begin to upheave as he looked forward. Goth had snapped the neck of his former nemesis without batting an eye, and he was reminded of why it was unwise to cross such a powerful woman. He watched as she stepped back, and to his horror she began working an unfamiliar magic. Her eyes became illuminated as an eery glow began radiating from her palms and filling the room. In a sickening moment of terror, he watched the lifeless body of Alexis begin to reform before him. Her leg snapped back into place and her neck spun back around, and all he could think was if he had been the subject of such gruesome magics in the past. Had Goth truly killed him that night? A new form of terror washed over him as the question began to seemingly repeat in his mind.

Goth stepped back from Alexis' body panting. This sort of magic was incredibly difficult even for her. Performing it on a body that was recently deceased was no small feet, and one that had been dead some time would be nearly impossible. It took its toll on her, but she was a woman of her word and intended to make good on her promise. Alexis gasped as she came to and looked around, "Holy fuck!" she exclaimed, "What the actual fuck just happened?!"

Goth smirked down at her and said, "I killed your worthless self and brought you back. I told you what I would do, and I'd hate to rob my friend of her fun. Considering you are the reason Elizabeth has escaped it is only fair to let her have you as a consolation prize. Come, Jake, let us leave this sorry excuse for a woman. We have some business to discuss, but don't you worry Alexis you won't be kept waiting long."

Goth walked past him and took hold of his leash to lead him out. He spared a final parting look at Alexis in an attempt to convey his regret at her situation. She blew him a kiss as best she could given her binds as they exited the room. She was left alone once more in the dungeon cell awaiting her next tormentor. It was an odd feeling, dying and coming back, but not entirely unpleasant. If it weren't for the fact that her next visitor was going to be far worse, she may have been willing to make this a regular occurrence. She hoped Beth was faring better than her at this moment.

Beth was in the process of navigating the distorted labyrinth that was the castle. She tried retracing her steps, but damned if the place wasn't a maze. She had barely avoided Goth and Jake as they descended the stairs to the dungeon, but since then she had hit several dead ends. She was beginning to get frustrated and not for the first time she wondered why anyone would want to live in such a place. She wished she still had her coat as a cold breeze seemed to be commonplace in this abomination Goth called a home. She needed to find her gear if she were to stand even a slight chance at ending this and saving Jake; she rounded another corner, but swore as she came to another dead end. "Who the fuck designed this place?!" she yelled to no one in particular.

A cold and calculated voice gave an answer she hadn't been expecting, "the Dark Matron designed this place so that any who are unwelcome or unwarranted may be contained within the walls. I believe you fall into the category, Elizabeth."

Beth spun around and took a fighting stance. She had hoped to avoid detection, but if she had to fight she would. The woman before her gave her some pause, though. She stood fairly tall in what looked to be a strange dress or maybe a robe of sorts with a large collar that came up. She wore what appeared to nothing but black and her eyes held a strange sense of mystery in them. Beth tried to get a read on the woman to prepare for an attack, but found it nearly impossible. Something felt incredibly strange at this moment and she couldn't quite place it. The woman before her made no move to attack or defend, but instead simply stood there with curious eyes. "Who are you?" Beth finally asked after a moment of tension.

The woman's lips turned into the faintest of smiles as she said, "I am Dilatrix and I serve the Matron of this castle as a simple advisor."

Beth glared and prepared to attack, but still the woman didn't move. What was she waiting for? "If you're here to stand in my way I will bring you down," Beth said, "Stand aside or don't, it's your choice. I will not be stopped here, not now."

"Such an impressive spirit you have," Dilatrix commented, "Do not worry, my dear Elizabeth, I have not come to stand in your way. I merely came because it is written that I stand before you now, just as it is written that your journey is far from over. I have seen across all timelines and I find this one to be most...intriguing. For me to see this one progress properly I must stand before you for a time. If not then you will fail and I can't have that, not yet anyways."

What the hell was this woman talking about? Timelines? Written? This wasn't some story, this was her life and her friend's that hung in the balance! Still, from the sounds of it she wasn't a threat to her mission. She didn't appear to be willing to move, though, so she decided to question her. "Alright, start talking," she said, "What do you mean timelines and progression? Who-what are you?"

Dilatrix continued to smile as she said, "That is the right question, and one that requires some time. Fortunately for you, time is something I have in abundance."

Jake stood close to Goth as she spoke with Aurora, "Deal with Alexis quickly, have your fun, but do not take too long. I want to ensure that I have you ready for when I find Elizabeth."

Aurora gave a half hearted grin as she replied, "As you wish, am I still going to get my turn with that feral little worm?"

"As soon as we find her she is all yours," she said before turning to Jake, "I want you to stay with Aurora until we find Elizabeth. I know her and I know despite my words she will find herself enjoying her new toy too much, and I need you around in case Elizabeth tries to rescue Alexis."

Jake paled at the prospect of being left alone with Aurora. This night had been full of surprises and none of them good, but this may have been the worst one yet. He looked to Aurora who was sporting a maniacal grin as she made eye contact with him. He shuddered at what her eyes screamed at him; they promised an interesting night for her and a miserable one for him. He turned to Goth to try to plead with her, "Please, Goth, don't leave me with her. I can scour the castle for Beth and apprehend her, and Aurora can take as much time as she wants with Alexis."

Goth placed a hand on his face in a reassuring manner and said, "Do not worry, my Raven, Aurora will not lay a hand on you or she will deal with me. Isn't that right, Aurora?"

Aurora clasped a hand on his shoulder and happily said, "That's right pretty boy, you've got nothing to worry about."

Goth gave her friend a smile before leaning down to kiss him. It was a quick kiss and it did little to ease his mind. She turned to leave and called back, "Make it quick and when you finish split up, and do not harm my beloved!"

Aurora pulled him close and called back, "It will be done, Goddess," before leaning down and whispering in his ear, "You and I are going to have a little fun once I'm done with Footgirl. Let's get a move on and if you try to run I will make it unfathomably worse for you."

Jake was led down the hall and back to the dungeon. His heart sank along with his hopes as reality began to sink in. He was trapped with Aurora until she was done or until Goth found Beth. He hated himself for it, but he found himself hoping that Beth would be captured soon. The thoughts of what Aurora was planning sent his terror to new heights.

Beth had been listening to Dilatrix speak for a short while, and with each new thing she said she became more and more confused. Apparently the woman was some kind of time with or sorceress as she called herself, and held little interest in Goth's conquest. From what she was saying it sounded like she was only here because she was allowed to operate freely. Her head spun with the concept of infinite timelines and parallels. She had heard the theory before, but according to Dilatrix not only was it a reality but she could access them all. She still didn't understand what this woman's game was, but she hadn't made a move to apprehend her yet. She couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was still off, but she couldn't tell what. She felt fine and this didn't seem like an ambush, but her gut told her something was wrong.

"So as you can see I mean you no harm," Dilatrix finished.

Beth shook her head and asked, "I still don't understand what you're wanting from me? Why are you even bothering to tell me all of this?"

Dilatrix maintained the same small smile and the same even tone as she spoke, "It is as I have already said, it is written that I stand before you for this path to progress as it should. What I want and why I am informing you are intertwined; I wish to see this play out for myself, and this is knowledge that will benefit you much later in your journey. I am neither your enemy or your ally for the time being, but rather a mere observer of the present. You intrigue me, Elizabeth, and I find the fire inside of you fascinating. I am not the only one you have captivated with this new side of you, but that is something you will come to know in time and someone you have already met."

"I confess that I advised against sending you that recording all those moons ago, but that was merely for the benefit of the Goddess. The aftermath of it holds no bearing over me, but has everything to do with her and yourself. This is a long and dark road you have chosen to undertake, and you will suffer for it. Your suffering will not be in vain so long as you hold tight to yourself and maintain that fire inside of you. It is when you lose the will to continue that your fate is sealed and the paths divulge, and that is something not even I can control."

Beth didn't have a clue as to what she was talking about, but yet again it seemed like she was almost rooting for her. It was strange to actually have someone in Goth's court seemingly on her side, but she wasn't going to complain. She had several questions, but only one that really mattered and she needed to ask. "If you're not here to stop me then can you tell me where Jake is?" 

For the first time Dilatrix's smile faded as she said, "I'm afraid your friend is in danger, and if you do not hurry you will be too late to save him."

Beth's eyes widened at her statement. Had this been a ploy to stall her? No, if it were then she wouldn't be telling her he was in danger. "Where is he?!" she demanded.

"He is trapped with Aurora while Goth has her people looking for you," Dilatrix said and gave a wave of her hand before continuing, "I've broken the seal around you that keeps you from navigating the halls of the keep. You must hurry if you are to save him; Aurora's room is upstairs, now go."

Beth nodded and took off in a sprint. She called back as she passed, "Thank you Dilatrix! I won't forget this!"

Dilatrix watched as the young woman sprinted down the hall. She began making her way to the throne room and as she walked she mused, "Time will tell if this truly is the right path, but the show will be delightful all the same. Run, little kitten, and let nothing stand in your way."

Jake was petrified as he was forcibly shoved to the floor of Aurora's room. He had just watched her torture Alexis in a manner that finally broke the crazy girl. So many broken bones and methods of torment that even in his worst nightmares he hadn't imagined. The sight of her mangled and lifeless corpse staring forward with the eyes of a broken spirit would be one that would haunt him for years to come. As awful as it was to watch such a horrific display, he was more afraid of what was to come. Aurora stepped into her room and slammed the door shut behind her. Jake swallowed as he looked around the room; chains with hooks hung from the ceiling beams and the only light was that of candles and the tinted moonlight coming through a blood red stained glass window. He shuffled backwards and tried to reason with the psychotic sadist, "I-if you lay a hand on me Goth won't be happy!"

Aurora threw her head back and laughed at his words. Jake continued to scoot back, but stopped as he hit something warm and solid. He turned back and a new form of panic crushed his spirit as his eyes landed on Dart. She was looking malnourished and her eyes held so little light and life that it was both terrifying and heartbreaking. He noted that her mouth was coated in what looked to be dried blood and her chest rose and fell with labored breathing. Aurora's voice broke through and amplified his terror, "I see you found my little foot cleaner. I guess I really should thank you, after all if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have been able to really break her in. This gives me an idea, come here you pathetic little shit."

Jake tried to stand and run, but Aurora caught him with ease. His nerves were shot and everything in his mind screamed feelings of terror and regret. Seeing his old friend in such a defeated state was heartbreaking and it was because he had brought her back here, but the remorse was outweighed by the fear of what was to come. He was dragged across the floor and thrown into a strange chair that proceeded to lock him in place. Thick leather straps moved on their own and locked themselves around his torso, wrists, and ankles preventing him from escaping. He thrashed about in an attempt to break free, but to his horror he could escape and he soon found his head bound in place as well. He could only look on in terror as Aurora paced around him.

Beth rushed through the castle halls no longer caring about subtlety or stealth. She had to get to Jake before that crazed bitch did anything to him. A few random men and women attempted to apprehend her at one point, but she was a woman on a mission and wouldn't be stopped. She didn't have her equipment with her, but that didn't stop her from putting them down. They weren't expecting her and that worked to her advantage as she brutally subdued them with her bare hands. A few broken bones and concussions later she found the stairs and moved with renewed purpose. She wouldn't fail her friend, not again.

Jake tried to find some semblance of calm in the midst of the overwhelming panic that was consuming him. He was bound and at the mercy of Aurora until Goth decided to come find him. He tried once again to ward off his oncoming fate by saying, "Don't you dare touch me! I belong to the Goddess and am not meant to be handled by you!"

Aurora scoffed as she continued to circle him, "God you are a mouthy little shit, you know that? she said, "Goth might be a little mad at first, but I think when I'm done with you she'll be much happier. Did you ever wonder why your little friend over there stopped talking? It's because when you brought her back she wouldn't shut up, so I decided to have a little fun. Turns out you can take someone's voice with your foot if you really get in there, and that's what I'm going to do to you! Goth is going to love having a little pet that can't talk back!"

Jake's struggles began anew at her words. She was going to take his voice! He had a foot fetish, sure, but this was going too far. He had to find a way out of this before she could get to work. Try as he might, he couldn't find a way to break the restraints around him. Aurora removed her boot and pulled a lever on the chair that leaned it back. He found himself staring up at the ceiling and her delighted and insane face. His teeth began to chatter as he the reality that he wasn't getting out of this sank in. "Please! Don't do this!" he practically screamed.

"This is happening, bird bitch, and there is nothing you can do to stop it," she said as she began to raise her foot.

The sound of the door being flung open caught both of their attention. Aurora looked up expecting to see Goth, but tilted her head as her eyes fell on Beth. "Get. The fuck. Away from him," she said as she slammed the door shut and walked into the room.

Aurora lowered her foot and laughed, "You really are stupid," she taunted, "Of all the places to run, you come to my room. You must be ready to die."

Beth continued forward and her fists shook with rage with each step. "I said get away from him," she repeated, "I'm the one you want, and here I am."

Aurora smiled wickedly as she pulled the lever on the chair again and Jake was returned to a sitting position. He looked between the two and tried to reason with Beth, "Beth, get out of here! She will kill you."

Aurora turned to him before turning back to Beth and saying, "You should listen to your friend, I guess he does have some sense after all. It's too late to run, though, I'm going to end you and make this little bird watch."

Beth stopped just short of Aurora before saying, "That's what you think? I told you if I got loose I'd show you hell, and I intend to keep that promise. I'm going to repay you every bit of suffering you've ever caused before this night is over."

Aurora laughed and said, "Tough talk from a weak little bitch. Go ahead and try, it's been too long since I've had a plaything with some fight."

That was all Beth needed to hear as she rushed forward and swung at the amazon tormentor. Aurora didn't even try to dodge, she simply stood there and took the punch. The impact was more severe than she was expecting and she took a step back to stable herself. She rubbed her jaw and smiled before throwing a punch of her own, but Beth was too fast for her. She ducked under the swing and went in for a low side kick to Aurora's knee. The kick connected, but it didn't do much aside from anger the behemoth. Aurora roared as she brought both fists down onto Beth and sent her to the floor. Beth hit the ground hard and felt the wind get knocked out of her, but she was quick to recover. As Aurora went for a punishing stomp she rolled out of the way.

Beth was on her feet and on the move before Aurora could follow-up with another attack. She grit her teeth and fought through the pain from the blow. She was strong that much was certain, but her form needed a lot of work. Beth just needed to find some kind of opening to capitalize on to get the upper hand. She heard the sound of something moving towards her at a rapid rate, and she turned to see a crate of something rocketing towards her. She didn't waste a second and jumped into the air; her boot hit the crate and she kicked off in an attempt to close the gap. She had seen what happened to Alexis when she tried this move, so she prepared for the oncoming grab. Her prediction was correct, and when Aurora stretched her arm out she twisted her body to counter. She wrapped herself around the massive arm of the sadistic woman and began applying as much pressure as she could with a full body armbar. She pulled down with her arms and used her legs to push up in an attempt to snap Aurora's arm, but she found an iron grip in her hair and fling her across the room. She was flung into the stained glass window that rested on the opposite end of the room, and upon impact it shattered. Crimson glass rained down around her and some pieces dug into her back. She refused to show any pain or weakness in front of Aurora, and the glass littering the floor gave her an idea.

She grabbed a couple of larger shards and prepared for her next move. The pain in her back was excruciating, but she blocked it out and let it fuel her ever-growing anger. "Is that all you've got you overgrown cunt?!" she called out.

Aurora snarled and growled, "You are one mouthy little bitch, I am going to cut that fucking tongue of your out before I kill you!"

Beth was trying to anger her in an attempt to make her more predictable; usually, when an opponent got angry their movements became easier to counter. She hoped this would be the case here, but even if it wasn't she wasn't going to let up. This bitch was going to pay for what she'd done. Aurora was charging her and Beth prepared for her counter. As she charged she brought her boot up to try to mow her down, but Beth easily evaded the attack and moved in for her own. She drove one of the shards of glass into her calf with as much force as she could muster, and when she pulled away the majority of it was embedded into her leg. Aurora cried out as the sudden shock of pain hit her. "Enjoy that feeling," Beth said as she jumped back out of reach, "We're just getting started!"

Aurora growled as her eyes began to glow, "I am going to kill you just like I did your little foot friend, but her death will look like a mercy by the time I'm done with you!"

Multiple shards of glass rose from the ground and began hurtling towards Beth. Her eyes went wide as she realized the predicament she was in; she used her newfound speed to her advantage and took off in a wild spring, but the shards continued to seek her out. She darted about the room in an attempt to lose them, but nothing seemed to work until she rounded a support beam that some of them stuck into. She continued to run and looked up to see several beams up above. She made a desperate and impulse decision to take higher ground, and she jumped as high as she could to avoid the incoming assault. She managed to grab onto one of the beams, but one of the shards sliced through her pants and cut her as she pulled herself up. The wound wasn't too deep, but it definitely hurt. She continued to move around the room even as she heard the shards begin to embed or shatter on the beams. 

She noticed some chains wrapped around a few beams and she got another idea. She stopped by one of them and carefully began unraveling it. "Where are you, you little worm?" Aurora demanded as she paced about the floor.

Beth managed to get one of the loose enough that she could use it and took hold of it and waited. She watched as Aurora came close before tightening her grip and dropping down in a swinging motion with her feet outstretched. "Here I am you fucking bitch!" she cried out as her boots connected with her chest and knocked her back a few steps. 

Aurora grunted at the impact and looked down at her chest. That had actually hurt, and she felt a new surge of anger as she turned back to face Beth. To her surprise she caught sight of a single shard of glass flying towards her, but before she could act it hit its mark. She screamed as the shard dug itself into her eye. Her vision had been cut in half and her head was pounding from the pain and the rage she felt. She was going to make this little worm suffer for this. "I am going to break your legs and make you watch as I turn your friend into a fucking mute before I have my fun with you!" she cried out, "I am going to invent new and painful ways to torture you, and when your sorry ass is finally dead I'll have Dilatrix bring you back so I can kill you again!"

Beth snarled as she rushed forward. She held the hook that was attached to the chain in her hand, and she leapt into a front flip over Aurora. She yelled as she drove the hook into her shoulder, "You're not going to touch him!" 

Aurora gave another cry of pain as the edge of the hook was driven into her shoulder, and turned to attack Beth. She was already out of reach and back to darting around the room. She drug the chain with her and began wrapping it around various beams as she serpentined out of Aurora's reach. Eventually the chain was pulled taunt, and she immediately began wrapping it around one of the beams. She wouldn't have long before Aurora found some way out, so she needed to act fast. She looked around and noticed that Aurora stood under another chained hook; she needed to use that to her advantage if she was going to finish this fight. She hatched a plan and set about putting it into action.

Aurora was having a difficult time focusing. Between the searing pain she felt in her head, the damned hook in her shoulder, and not being able to see out of one eye this fight was becoming a literal pain. She tried to focus on what the little bitch was doing, but she couldn't pinpoint where she was. She heard the heavy footfalls and caught sight of her as she prepared for another leap, but she held out her hand and used her powers to catch her. She held her in place and brought her close to her face before saying, "Game over, you worthless little bitch!"

Beth could feel her windpipe being squeezed, but she grinned and pushed through the magic hold on her body. She managed to regain control of her arm and reached out to grab the glass in Aurora's eye. She'd learned from her fight with Pamela that the best way to deal with magic was to break concentration, and what better way than a little bit of agony? She gave the shard a sharp jerk and as Aurora screamed she felt herself beginning to drop, but she reached out with both hands and grabbed hold of her head. She brought herself down hard and used her head to crack Aurora's jaw on the top of it. The impact hurt, but the result was what she needed. Aurora stumbled back in a pained daze, and she got to her feet and jumped onto her shoulders. She pressed her boot down on the hook, and took hold of the one hanging above. Aurora fell to one knee, and she brought the other hook down to dig it into her other shoulder.

Aurora was forced to the ground and was being overwhelmed by the pain that was shooting through her. It was made worse when Beth took hold of the glass in her eye and yanked it out. She felt the backs of her knees take a vicious cut followed by two cuts on her ankles. She couldn't stand anymore as she was forced to stay on her knees. She looked up and snarled as Beth's cold blue eyes stared into her hateful amethyst eyes. "What are you going to do?" Aurora asked, "Shoot me? Slit my throat?"

Beth shook her head and took a fistful of her hair as she leaned in and said, "No, I'm going to take your suggestion. I'm going to cut your goddamn tongue out of your head, and then maybe you'll finally shut the fuck up!"

Aurora was about to spit out a reply, but her eyes widened as she found the bloody shard of glass jammed into her mouth. She tried to fight her way out of her grip, but Beth was stronger than she looked. She cried out as she felt the still warm shard begin to dig into her soft tongue. The pain was indescribable and the taste of blood filled her mouth as she began to black out from the pain. She willed herself to stay conscious, much to Beth's delight. After a few minutes of crude cutting and agony Beth removed her hand and held up her own tongue before her. She wanted to insult her, to demean her, but all she could do was stare with wide and horrified eyes. The worst part, for her anyways, was the look of hate and cruelty that resided on Beth's face that mixed with a sadistic grin. Was this what it was like for her victims? That was the last thought she had before Beth began driving the shard into her temple. Her body fell over as blood sported out and covered Beth.

Beth was breathing heavily as she stood over the corpse of Aurora. She hadn't expected to enjoy that as much as she did, but the feeling of surprise from killing was beginning to fade by this point. She had gotten what was coming and it was long overdue. The door creaked open and she looked over her shoulder to see Nastia coming in with eyes closed and a smile, "Hey Aurora can I borrow Dart I-," she stopped as she saw the bloody corpse and Aurora and the bloodied figure standing above her. It was Beth and as she turned she caught a glimpse of the hateful hunger in her eyes. She backed out of the room and simply offered, "You know what, I'll just come back later and act like I didn't see anything."

The door shut and Beth debated on chasing the disgusting woman down or not, but decided she needed to free Jake. She walked over to the chair he was bound in and began cutting the leather bands. In a matter of minutes he was free and rolling his wrists. He looked at her with thankful eyes and said, "Beth you-"

She cut him off by saying, "I know I just killed someone else, you can save the holier than thou act and just tell me where my gear is."

Jake shook his head and said, "You saved me, after I brought you here and almost got you killed. After I-I got Alexis killed and-" he couldn't continue as his voice hitched with guilt.

Beth's eyes softened as she looked at her friend. "Of course I saved you, knucklehead," she said and helped him up, "You're my best friend, and you didn't get Alexis killed I did. She followed me here after I used one of our old beacons to contact her. She saved me and gave herself up so I could save you."

Jake looked down as she spoke. Footgirl had come here to save Beth, and had given herself up to save him. He shook his head as he remembered Beth's question about her equipment, "Your gear is in the chest by Aurora's bed. She was keeping it as a trophy or something."

Beth didn't waste any time and set about retrieving her equipment. She opened the chest to find her guns, knives, utility belt, and coat thrown in haphazardly. She donned her coat and belt before reattatching her holsters and pistols. She checked the guns to make sure they were loaded and was ready to work. She dug around in the coat pocket and found a pack of cigarettes she had swiped from Alexis before leaving. She pulled one out and walked over to one of the candles to light it. She took a long drag before exhaling and turning to Jake to say, "Come on, we've got to get out of here."

Jake stood there and stared at his friend. He'd never seen her smoke and couldn't stop himself from saying, "You're smoking now?"

Beth stared at him as she took another drag and asked her cigarette, "You just watched me kill a woman and that's your takeaway?"

"I mean, that's bad for you is all I'm saying," he replied.

Beth narrowed her eyes at him and walked forward saying, "Jake, you just spent months working for villains, shaking down citizens, you're wearing a skirt that is more revealing than anything in my closet, and I just watched you like the feet of woman who I know hasn't showered in over a century by your choice. Do you really want to pass judgment on me for smoking?"

Jake opened his mouth to form a rebuttal, but quickly closed it. He sighed and said, "Fair enough."

Beth rolled her eyes and took his hand, "That's what I thought, now shut up and come on. We need to get out of here."

Jake pulled his hand back and said, "I can't leave, I belong to Goth. I have to stay, Beth."

Beth closed her eyes and sighed before opening them and saying, "Jake she will kill you if you stay. Hell for all either of us know she already has! We have got to get out of here. Trust me, I'll protect you and I won't let her get her hands on you again."

Jake swallowed as he considered her words. She had a point, he was already unsure if she had killed him before or not. He couldn't remember anything from that night aside from laying on the floor alone and afraid. His instincts told him to stay, but for the first time since everything began he found himself fighting them. Beth was his friend and he needed to trust her; she had done all of this for him, and she had saved him from Aurora. He nodded and said, "Alright, let's go. Can I maybe change first?"

"Where is your suit?" Beth asked.

"Goth's room."

"Nope, looks like you're escaping in a skirt," Beth said as she took his hand and led him out of the room.

It wasn't ideal, but he knew she was right. If they were going to escape they needed to move fast. If they were lucky, Goth would still be searching through the Castle for Beth. They quickly exited the room and rushed down the stairs; Beth kept one of her pistols drawn in case they ran into any trouble along the way. As they sprinted down the stairs, Jake had a crushing realization. The exit was through the throne room. He hoped and prayed that Goth wouldn't be there, but his luck hadn't been great that night. 

They came into the large expanse that was the throne room, and hurried to the large double doors. A terrifying and familiar voice called out to the both of them, "Leaving so soon, Elizabeth, and with my Raven no less?"

They froze in place and slowly turned to face the Goddess herself. She sat on her throne with her hand propped up on her fist while sporting a knowing smirk. Dilatrix stood by her side as one of the lone survivors of the court. Beth pushed Jake back behind her and said, "We are out of here and if you try to stop us you'll regret it."

Goth laughed as she stood from her throne and began walking down the steps, "Is that so?" she asked, "Such big talk from a frightened little girl. You won't be going anywhere unless I allow it, and Jake will be staying where he belongs: with me."

Beth raised her gun and prepared to fire, but Goth's eyes began to glow and she found herself frozen in place. She couldn't focus anymore than she could move, and slowly the world around her began to take on a strange distortion. She closed her eyes to block out the feelings that were hitting her, but that only seemed to make things worse. She opened them find herself alone in total darkness. Great, now what the hell was going on?


	7. The Final Battle

Jake stood motionless as he watched his friend seemingly freeze. Fear took a firm hold of him as he looked between Beth and Goth; his mind raced with questions and panic as he looked to Goth's glowing eyes. He wondered what she was doing and what she would do when she was finished. He feared for his own safety, but found himself more concerned with Beth in this moment. As much as he had changed since submitting to Goth he still possessed the heart of a hero, and he hated his inability to act in the face of his girlfriend. Worse than his inaction was his inability to speak, but this was one thing he could fight through. It took more effort than he was proud to admit, but he found his voice in the face of peril and asked, "Goth! What are you doing to her?!"

Goth looked to her Raven with a curious stare. She hadn't heard him speak in such a manner since the night of his submission. It was strange to hear, and stranger still was the thought she had of missing this tone. It was strong and confident, but she saw through his facade as he was but a shadow of his former self. She would permit and forgive his outburst this one time, but she made a note to address him after she was finished with Elizabeth. "I am merely giving her a lesson in humility, my love," she said offhandedly, "Elizabeth has sinned against both myself and the precious moral code you both used to carry, so I've decided to allow her to see her innermost thoughts and fears. What happens next is purely contingent on her own mind. Now be silent, my Raven, and watch as her punishment unfolds. Let us see just how strong our little Elizabeth is."

Jake didn't like the sound of that answer. It was a rather tame attack from the sounds of it, but he knew the ire that coursed through her and it had him worried. If she was willing to do this then she must have known something he didn't. It didn't surprise him given her abilities, but it did trouble him. He swallowed nervously as he felt himself paralyzed in her presence once again. Whatever was going on, he hoped his friend was able to overcome it.

Beth stood in total darkness and utter confusion. She tried to figure out what was going on; she had just been in the throne room with Jake and Goth, and now she was stranded alone in some strange darkscape. She furrowed her brow as she tried to piece together just what was going on and where the hell she was. This had to be some trick of Goth's and attempt to stop her, but what exactly was going on? A strange and foreboding fog seemed to appear out of nowhere and she felt herself become more agitated. Something wasn't right and she was growing more concerned with the world around her; where was Jake and was he okay? She needed to get out of this mess and find him, fast.

A figure appeared in the strange haze that had settled in around her, and she rushed towards it to see who it could be. As she approached she noticed some familiar features and an all too familiar scent in the air; a strong but lean body, long curly brown hair, and the unmistakable smell of fresh blood. It was Jake and he was hurt! She charged forward at an increased rate to check on her friend; if he was here then where was Goth? He finally came into view and she felt her stomach turn as her heart broke at the sight of him. Disheveled and matted locks of hair that held flecks of dried blood in them, and it looked as though his tattoos had been replaced with carvings! Blood pooled up and poured out from them, and his bare body seemed thinner as if he hadn't eaten in days, maybe even weeks. His back was to her and she could see bruises beneath the blood that covered it, and the many gashes from the whip of a mad woman. She placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to get his attention, "Jake!" she said with a voice filled with concern, "Oh my God, what happened to you?"

He jerked his shoulder away from her touch and weakly muttered, "God is she, God is she, beware the deceivers and nonbelievers, God is she," he repeated this in a hushed whisper that unnerved her.

She drew her hand back and suppressed the shakes that threatened to overtake her body. What had Goth done to him? How long had she been gone? Where was that evil bitch? These were just a few of the questions that ran through her mind as she regarded her friend with twisted pity. She pushed the feelings of guilt down and tried once again to break through to him, "Jake, it's me Beth, your friend remember? We have to get out of here, come on before she hurts you again."

She placed a hand back on his shoulder and he snapped at her like some kind of wild animal. His hand clamped down on her wrist and gave it a sharp twist that sent a shockwave of pain through her arm. He stood up and turned to her with eyes both empty and crazed and roared, "Beth! Beth the liar and deceiver! Beth the one who damned me and countless others!"

Her knee buckled as he continued to twist her wrist and she grit her teeth to fight back a wave of pain that slammed into her. Both physical and emotional pain ran through her at his words and his look. Did he really see her this way? She placed a hand atop his and tried one final time to reason with him, "Jake, please listen to me! I'm your friend and I just want to help you, please stop!"

He didn't listen and his hands snapped from her wrist to her throat. She felt herself giving way as he applied pressure to her windpipe, and her eyes went wide with a primal fear as he screamed, "No more promises, no more lies, only the word and will of the Goddess!"

Instinct kicked in and in a state of terror she ripped his hands from her throat and delivered a hard kick to his still bleeding chest. She watched in shock and worry as he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, "Jake!" she called out fearing that she'd hurt him worse.

The sound of quiet sobs graced her ears and she heard him say, "You promised me you'd keep me safe…"

Her heart broke and she closed her eyes to find something to say, but when she opened them he was gone. She looked around for him and called out, "Jake! I'm sorry…"

A familiar and cold voice called out from behind her, "Indeed you are, Kitten."

Her eyes widened at the sound of Pamela's voice and she spun on her heel ready to attack. There before her stood the tall platinum blonde she had killed only a few nights ago; she circled her with calculating eyes, but made no move to attack. "You," Beth said as confusion set in with a creeping fear, "You're...I-"

"Killed me?" Pamela asked as she approached her, "That you did, and yet here I stand before you. Such a beautiful and painful night that was for you, wasn't it? Staring into the eyes of a woman defenseless and begging for mercy, how did it feel? What went through your mind as you slit my delicate throat?"

Beth shut her eyes in hopes of making her disappear, but the sound of her heels clacking on the ground told her it wasn't happening. Her mind found its way back to that night, the night she had questioned her own actions. The look in those eyes had been trying to tell her something, but she figured she would never know. She reminded herself that she acted out of a sense of justice and that she had done it because she deserved it. "It doesn't matter," she said through gritted teeth.

"Oh but it does," Pamela said as she took a step towards her, "You lie to yourself and those around you. You tell yourself that this is a just cause, but deep down you know you're nothing more than a killer. You are no different than the ones you've put down, and in your wake you leave a trail of destruction and death. You pretend to be so sure of yourself, but you question every move you make and wonder just how far you're willing to go. The worst part is that you continue to deny that you enjoy it. The feeling of killing excites you and that terrifies you."

Beth shook her head as she spoke. She was wrong, wasn't she? She told herself that these were lies, but stopped as she realized she was doing just what the woman before her had just said. She felt some small part of her begin to crack at her words and she growled in frustration, "Shut up."

"Why do you deny it?" Pamela asked as she closed the distance, "You're nothing more than a killer with a cause. Countless murderers believed they were just and that their actions benefited the world around them. What makes you different? A friend who you failed or maybe it's the sense of justice you hide behind. You are both a murderer and a failure wrapped into one pathetic girl who hides behind a tough exterior, deep down you are weak and you know it!"

She felt a sudden and sharp pain rake across her back as Pamela raked a set of grotesque claws down her back. She winced and stepped forward to avoid the pain. "That's not true!" she screamed, "I am not a failure!"

"Tell that to me and Jake," a familiar voice called from close by.

Her eyes widened as she recognized the sound of her newfound friend, "A-Alexis?"

"The one and only," her friend called out with a disapproving glare, "I gave my life for you to save Jake, and you failed him. Because of you, he's broken beyond repair. I shouldn't have wasted my time with you, you're nothing but the same weak girl hiding behind a mask."

Her words cut her like a knife and she felt her heart break. She tried to tell herself that this wasn't real, but a sudden pain in her jaw told her otherwise. She was sent flying and skidded to a halt on her back as she looked up in time to see Alexis lower her foot. Looking up at her now, she got a glimpse of her former friend. Dried blood caked her lips and dotted her face, and her limbs seemed distorted as she moved in a strange and disfigured manner. What had happened to her? Why hadn't she gone back for her when she had the chance? "Exactly," Pamela's voice cut through her thoughts, "Why didn't you go back for her? It's because you'd rather serve yourself than others. To be such a disgraceful failure is one thing, but to be a selfish one is deplorable."

"No!" Beth yelled, "I didn't go back because she wanted me to save Jake!"

"And you couldn't even do that!" Alexis roared, "Just like everyone else, you let him down and cost him everything!"

Beth felt tears welling up in her eyes as the verbal abuse continued to rain down on her. She would rather have suffered a beating from the women than this insanity. She was losing herself to their words and accusations, and what was worse was she was starting to believe them. She felt a pain in her ribs as Pamela delivered a rough kick to her chest. She coughed as she rolled from the force of the kick. "Save your tears for people who care," she said coldly, "Oh, that's right you don't have anyone that cares anymore. You've driven everyone away and the ones you haven't, you've cost them everything."

This wasn't real, this couldn't be real. She kept telling herself there was no way this could be happening, but the thoughts and feelings were all too real. The pain in her chest from the kick and the heartache was too much to deny. "Shut up!" she screamed in an attempt to dispell them.

"They're not wrong," a voice she hadn't heard in a long time said, "Because of your failures and your delays I'm broken beyond repair."

She looked up with pained eyes to see the mangled body of Dart walking over to her. She felt sick as she watched blood pool up and spill out of her mouth as she spoke. "Dart!" she exclaimed, "I'm sorry."

It was all she could say and all she felt in this moment. Her old friend knelt down beside her and as she spoke blood dripped down and onto the ground around her, "I know you are," she said as she produced one of her missing pistols, "You can make it all up and make it all go away with this, though, you'd be doing us all a favor and yourself one for that matter."

Beth stared at the gun as it became soaked in her friend's blood. She slowly reached for the pistol and took hold of it. The familiar weight of it confirmed for her that this was real and not some trick. She looked between the three women trying to discern some indicator of what to do. Pamela spoke up first, "Go ahead and serve yourself one final time."

"Don't keep us in suspense, do something right for once and end this bullshit," Alexis said.

She looked to Dart who gave a slow and bloody nod. She looked down to the gleaming pistol that rested in her hands and clenched the grip tight. Her finger found its way to the trigger and she slowly brought it up. She owed this to them; Jake, Alexis, Dart, and even Pamela this would make things right. She closed her eyes as she pressed the barrel to her head and prepared to pull the trigger.

Jake watched his friend with a fear unlike anything he'd experienced in his life. Beth had been frozen in place for a while now, but he noticed the occasional twitch and a bit of blood began to spill out from her lips. He wanted to help her, more than that he needed to, but he couldn't bring himself to act. Goth had instilled a primal sense of obedience and terror within him that seemed to be insurmountable. His mind and heart screamed at him to move, to fight, to do something, anything to help his friend, but his body refused to listen. He was caught in the grips of crippling fear that refused to let him go, and despite the burning desire he felt he couldn't do anything more than remain still and silent. 

It wasn't until he saw her arm begin to move that he felt a new compulsion. At first he thought that she was breaking free, but that thought was quickly crushed as he watched her bring her gun closer to her head. Time seemed to slow down in an instant as he realized what was happening; whatever Goth was doing was causing her to act on some unseen and dark impulses, and in that moment he found his will once again. "Goth stop!" he cried out in an attempt to spare his friend's life.

Goth gave a wicked and sadistic smile as she said, "I cannot stop this, Jake, this is all Elizabeth. All I've done is give her a chance to confront her fears and weaknesses; it's not my fault that this is her answer, but I'd be lying if I said I was surprised."

He couldn't watch this, there was no way he could let this happen. He had to do something, and there was only one thing he could think of. For the first time in a long time he felt his body, heart, and mind align and move as one as he took off towards his friend. "Beth!" he cried out in an attempt to reach her, "Beth, stop it's me, Jake! Your friend, please!"

"Jake what do you think you're doing?!" Goth shrieked, "Let this happen and things can go back to how they were, how they are supposed to be. We can be together, but if you take another step you'll regret it. Do not do this!"

Jake heard the words of warning and even noticed the slight plea in her voice, but he couldn't let someone he cared about die, not when he could do something about it. Win or lose, the life of a friend was more important than his own well being in the end. Damn the consequences of his actions, if he could save Beth he had to try. He continued to call out to her as he came to stand beside her and placed a hand on the hand holding the gun, "Beth, if you're in there please stop. Fight it, you can beat this, you're stronger than this! Please, Beth, fight it."

Beth felt a sudden weight on her arm pulling it away from her head. She furrowed her brow at the unseen force that suddenly took hold of her, and was shocked to hear the familiar sound of her friend's voice calling out to her. It was distant and more than a bit garbled, but she would know that voice anywhere. It wasn't the same as before, though, this one sounded like her real friend, the one she was with not long ago. She looked around to the faces of the women that surrounded her, and tried to make sense of just what was going on. "Jake?" she asked quietly.

"Jake is gone," Pamela said, "All that is left is the broken bird that you created. See for yourself."

She gave a slight wave of her hand and the broken and battered vision of her friend from before appeared once again. His hollow eyes and bloody body could be seen as he sat, rocking back and forth on the ground. He continued to mutter incoherently, oblivious to the world around him. Her heart gave way once again at the sight of what she had done. Her failure had brought this on him, and her thoughts once again returned to the gun in her hand. One quick and simple motion would end this and serve as her attunement for what she had done, but the weight on her arm remained and she swore she could still hear the distant cries of her friend. The lines between this reality and another began to blur as a new conflict rose up within her; she couldn't tell what was real and what was fake, but something didn't feel right. As she tried to piece together some semblance of truth in what was a distorted moment, her mind began to suffer a slight schism as it fought with itself.

She closed her eyes and tried to ward off the pain that began to surge through her head. "What the hell are you waiting for?!" Alexis demanded, "You see what you've done and what you'll continue to do, why keep going just to hurt somebody else? It's better for everyone if you just pull that little trigger."

Her breath began to shudder as she listened to her friend. Was she right? Was this all that she was capable of? Death, destruction, and suffering were these the only things she had left to offer? "Beth!" she heard a voice call out, "Beth, please you promised me you'd protect me! You can't do this, you're stronger than this! Please, Beth, fight it."

That was Jake, the real Jake, and he was calling out to her! Where was he? Where was she? She slowly began to lower the gun from her head back to her side. This wasn't real, was it? She tried to rationalize it, but what if this was real and she was hearing things? Was she going crazy or had she already gone crazy? She couldn't tell and it was driving her mad!

The voice of Dart caught her attention between sickening gargles, "This is the only way. Do what needs to be done."

The weight on her arm was gone now that it was back at her side, and she once more looked to the distorted faces of the people around her. This couldn't be happening; Dart was comatose and both Alexis and Pamela were already dead. She prayed she was right as she lifted her gun and took aim at her old friend, "No," she said defiantly, "There is always another way, and I'm not taking the easy way out," she fired a shot into the chest of her friend and watched as she dissipated into a cloud of smoke. She turned to Alexis next, "I haven't failed you, not yet, and I'm not going to!" she fired another round into the chest of her mangled friend before turning to Pamela.

"Go ahead," the blonde said coldly, "Take another life and continue down this path of ruin. It'll only be a matter of time before this becomes a reality."

"Not if I can help it!" Beth yelled as she fired into her chest. She watched as she faded away, but she remained trapped in this strange place. She turned to the shattered version of her friend, and felt her heart sink as she realized what she would have to do. If this were to truly end, she would have to erase this Jake as well. She told herself over and over again that this wasn't real, but it didn't stop the pain she felt as she placed the gun to his head, "I'm going to keep my promise this time, Jake. Rest now and maybe in time you can forgive me."

She closed her eyes as the sound of the final gunshot rang out and echoed around her. A tear fell down her face as she opened them to see his now lifeless body fall to the ground before disappearing into a cloud of smoke. The world around her began to shake, and she found herself suddenly falling into a dark void below. If this was some kind of illusion she would be back with Jake soon, and if not then this would be her end. Either way, she could rest easy knowing she did what she felt was right. The sensation of falling was brought to a sudden stop as she found herself lying face down on a cold stone floor in a daze.

Jake watched as his friend suddenly collapsed to the ground. He knelt down beside her and checked her pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt one, and he leaned down to check on her, "Beth?"

She opened her eyes and looked around to see the source of the voice, and felt a wave of relief hit her to see her friend unharmed. She pushed herself up and threw her arms around him, "Jake! You're alive I thought...I thought I'd lost you."

He was surprised by her sudden hug, but he smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "No, not yet anyways," he said.

"Get your hands off of my beloved," Goth screamed at the two of them.

Beth broke their embrace and turned to glare at Goth as she stood. She pushed her friend back behind her and said, "He's not yours."

Goth scoffed and fired back, "And I suppose you think he's yours then?"

"He's not anyone's," Beth said defiantly and spared him a glance, "He belongs to himself and no one else."

She raised her guns to prepare for an attack, but Goth gave a simple wave of her hand that gave her pause. Strange symbols began to form in the air around her, and they were quickly multiplying. Beth switched from an offensive stance to a defensive one, but kept her place in front of Jake. She'd been on the receiving end of Goth's magic more than once, and while she didn't want to experience it herself, she had to make sure Jake didn't take the brunt of it. If it meant enduring some pain then so be it. She braced as the symbols suddenly rushed towards them, but an impact never came. She watched as the symbols instead placed themselves on the ground around them and embedded themselves on a couple of statues in the hall. She eyed them warily and prepared to grab Jake and dive in anticipation of the oncoming attack.

"You need to learn your place, Elizabeth," Goth said she returned to her seat, "Everything and everyone in this world belongs to me. My Raven was well aware of this fact until you came along, but I think you both could use a refresher in why I am considered a Goddess. Before this is over you will kneel before your Goddess, you both will."

Beth was about to speak when the ground beneath her and Jake began to shake. She looked to the symbols surrounding them and watched as they began to glow a brilliant red before skeletal hands began to rise from them. The hands seemed to pull up and with them came the form of a skeleton warrior with rotting bones and maggots dripping from its body. She looked around them and noticed that several more were quickly rising to surround them, but what really had her worried was the crumbling sound close by. She looked to the statue of a stone gargoyle broke free from the cement surrounding it. Her eyes went wide as not one but two massive beasts shattered the stone that surrounded them, and she grit her teeth in preparation for the oncoming assault. If Goth wanted to play rough then she would do just that. "Jake, stay behind me!" she ordered and noticed weapons appearing in the skeletons hands.

"No way," he said as he prepared to fight, "We're in this together, and I'm not risking losing you again."

She looked at her friend and despite his femine attire she felt glad to see his old self come out. They stood back to back as the creatures began moving in on them. It was like old times and she felt ready to take on the monstrosities that were approaching. The skeletons were closest and one of them swung a large sword at her, but she side stepped it before planting her boot on the blunt side of the blade and moving to snap its arm. A resounding crack rang out as she easily removed the arm from its owner, and she quickly followed it up with a shot to its head. The bullet pierced through the skull and splattered her with the disgusting insects writhing within. She watched as its form fell to the ground and prepared for the next attack.

A piece of the stone slid to Jake's feet, and he looked down to see it was a long and thin piece. It wasn't his staff, but it would do in this situation. He kicked it up and snapped his hands around it; the weight was more than what he was used to, but he could make it work. He poised it behind him with his free hand extended to pick his mark, and he widened his stance in preparation for a counterattack. Two skeletons shambled forward and he spotted an opening between the two as they prepared to attack. He charged forward and began spinning the impromptu staff in a twisting arc that he used to deflect their blades; he brought himself to a stop and swept their legs out from under them. The weight of the bar he held proved to be too much for the brittle bones of the skeletons, and they snapped off before flying across the room. As their bodies fell, he swung the bar in an arc that slammed into their bodies and shattered them. He brought the staff down to the ground and looked for his next opening.

Beth was currently dealing with a set of skeletons when one of the gargoyles burst through the boney weaklings to attack her. She launched into a back handspring to dodge its massive claws, and when she landed she trained her guns on the rampaging creature. She opened fire on it, but it did little to phase the monster before her. "Shit," she cursed as she took off in a sprint. She slid under one of the skeleton's legs and let the beast behind her obliterate it. She dropped one of the grenades she had snagged from the pawnshop and led the beast to it. She hoped it would be enough to at least stun the damned thing, and as it crossed over the grenade it exploded with a loud boom. The smoke cleared and it was left standing in a daze, "You've got to be fucking kidding me! Alright you big bastard, let's dance!"

Jake had finished dealing with another skeletal warrior when the explosion caught his attention. He looked over to see one of the gargoyles standing in an angry daze and Beth cussing at it. He raced off to help his friend, and used the bar to vault himself over the beast. It took every ounce of strength he had to carry the stone staff with him as he rocketed through the air, but he managed to do it and land on the thing's back. He brought the bar up around its thick neck in an attempt to both choke it and hold it in place. He wasn't sure if it would work or not, but he had to do something to help her. "Beth, aim for its eyes!" he yelled as it began to try to remove him, "Hurry I don't know how long I can hold this thing!"

Beth nodded and aimed for the beast's eyes. She opened fire and emptied her clip into it. The dull click of her guns frustrated her, but she watched as the monster fell to the ground with a loud thud. Jake rolled off of its back, and unfortunately for him his skirt blew up. Beth blushed and looked away as she reloaded her guns, "You're not wearing underwear?!" 

Jake looked down to see his exposed junk and blushed furiously as he threw the garment back down. "Goth prefers me to go commando!" he defended, "Don't make this into a thing, please, this isn't the time."

Beth pulled her grappling gun from her belt and tossed it to him, "Oh this is definitely going to be a thing later," she said, "You still know how to use that?"

"I'm assuming you're talking about the grappling gun," he said as he placed it in the hem of his skirt, "Yeah, and I think I know what you're planning."

"What the hell did you think I was talking about?!" she asked incredulously.

"My-" he stopped himself as the other monster closed in on them, "Nevermind."

He split off to the side and left Beth to distract the creature. Years of working together had the two on a near telepathic link of sorts, but Beth called out after him as she realized what he meant, "Ugh you fucking pervert! You have spent way too much time with Goth!"

Jake laughed as he raced off to prepare for his move. It felt good to laugh again and even better to be back in action alongside his friend. He'd forgotten what it was like to fight against evil in his quest to serve Goth, and he held tight to the feeling as he stopped his charge a good distance from Beth and the gargoyle. There was still a small part of him that felt like this wasn't right, but he reminded himself of the horrors he'd endured in his stay here. Goth had him convinced that he served a higher purpose, but her cause was little more than a twisted grab for power. He couldn't let this go on, not when Beth had risked everything to save him. He waited until the beast was close to Beth before he fired the grappling gun across the room; the cable sliced through the air and found its mark in the opposing wall. He waited for the moment the creature crossed it to flip the switch and dislodge it from the wall. It zipped back towards him, but found itself wrapped wrapping around the legs of the creature. He summoned all of his strength and gave a fierce tug on the gun and the cable. The creature roared as it fell to the ground, and he watched as Beth rushed forward to pounce on its back. The sound of several gunshots filled the room as she finished off the last of the summoned enemies.

Goth watched the display with some degree of enthusiasm. She couldn't deny that the two of them worked well together, but they were here to oppose her. Worse yet, Elizabeth had somehow managed to undo all of her work with Jake; she would see her pay for this before the night was through. She would have to make sure to teach Jake the true cost of disobeying her will after she dealt with Elizabeth. She stood from her throne and gave the duo a small round of applause. She had given them one final moment together because she was merciful, but now that moment was done and they needed to be taught a lesson. "I'm almost impressed," she said as she descended the stairs leading to the floor, "It is a shame that the two of you chose the wrong side in all of this, but I suppose that is what happens when someone believes they are stronger than a Goddess. Playtime is over, Elizabeth, and I'm afraid it's time for my Raven to return to me. Just remember, the two of you made me do this."

Beth turned to face her as she slowly walked down the stairs. She turned to Jake to make sure he was okay; his face looked ready, but his body said otherwise. She could tell that he was nervous for what was about to come, and she wanted to assure him that everything would be okay. She didn't have a moment to spare, however, and she readied herself for the final battle that lay before them. This was it, the moment she had been working towards all those nights ago; this was her chance to finally put an end to Goth and her reign of terror. "I'm going to enjoy making you suffer," Beth said as she dropped to a crouch.

Goth laughed at her words as she looked between the two of them, "I must say, what you lack in skill you make up for in enthusiasm. Go ahead, I'll let you have the first attack."

Beth glared at her and looked to Jake across the room. He gave her a nod to let her know that he was with her, and she moved in for her first attack. She holstered her guns and charged forward with a hand on her utility belt; she pulled a flashbang from it and tossed it down at Goth's feet. She would need every ounce of opportunity she could get against her, and she slowed her pace to wait for the grenade to go off. She drew a set of her knives in preparation for the attack. She watched as Goth grinned and clenched her fist and gave a flick of her wrist. The flashbang became enveloped in a vibrant purple glow before being hurtled back at Beth. Her eyes widened and she leapt into a kick that knocked the grenade away, and in a matter of seconds it exploded not far away. The explosion didn't completely stun her, but it did dampen her peripheral vision and her hearing for a second. That was all the time it took for Goth to come upon her with unbridled fury. She felt a vicious and precise strike connect with her jaw that sent her into the air, and before she could get far Goth took hold of her head and brought her face first into her knee. The impact was sudden and sharp, and she felt herself get knocked back off of her feet from the recoil. Goth's size added to her strength, but she was clearly a more disciplined fighter than Aurora. 

She would have to be careful not to use any of the equipment she had brought with her; Goth could turn any of her tools against her, so she would have to stick to close quarters and her knives. She was on her feet in an instant, but Goth was fast approaching with her long and powerful strides. She noted the distinct rotten smell that filled her nose from the previous attack, and made a mental note that Goth's unwashed scent may have a distracting effect on her. She sidestepped an age kick that cracked the stone floor, and swung one of her knives upward in an attempt to slice her calf. The blade hit its mark, but it didn't seem to do much aside from draw a bit of blood before Goth pivoted into a side kick that knocked her off balance. She stumbled backwards, but was able to counter the incoming punch aimed at her chest and parry it with her blades. Rather than try to stop the momentum of the blow, she attempted to redirect it and get behind her. It worked well enough and she went in to drive one of her knives into the back of the wouldbe Goddess. The sharp edge of the blade found itself embedded into her flesh, but she barely flinched as she retaliated with a spinning back elbow. The blow connected with Beth's head and sent her back to the floor with a groan.

Goth stood over here with a look of contempt as she reached behind her and pulled the knife from her back. "Is this all you have to offer? I expected more from the Feral, but I suppose you can't believe everything you hear," she said as she flung the blade with a simple flick of her wrist, "Really, Elizabeth, if this is your best then you're wasting your time and mine."

Her knife found itself wedged between the stone floor between her legs, and she growled as she pulled it out. She got back on her feet as a Goth suddenly fell to one knee; Jake had come from seemingly nowhere to deliver a painful strike with his staff to the back of her knee. Goth snarled at the sudden impact, but was too distracted to notice Beth rushing towards her opening. Beth jumped onto Goth's knee before launching into a spinning kick to the side of her head. Her boot connected with her head and sent the Goddess one step closer to the ground; she had managed to catch herself with her hands before falling completely to the ground, but Beth wasn't finished yet. She pounced on her and drove her knives into her shoulders before Goth lurched and threw her off of her. She growled as she got to her feet, and she turned her focus to the duo that circled her.

These two were trouble when put together, but nothing she couldn't handle on her own. She had an ace up her sleeve when it came to Jake, and if he was down she could focus on Elizabeth. The sting of the blades in her back sent a wave of irritation coursing through her. Who did they think they were to dare cause her pain? She would make them pay for their transgressions one way or another, but still she resolved to keep her tricks hidden for now. Her eyes darted between the two just waiting for any sudden movement from them, and she found it when they each rushed her in unison. They were going to try to catch her off guard with a tandem attack; a smart move if it weren't for the fact that she'd lived for centuries and studied various martial arts with her magic. Jake went in high for a leaping axe kick, while Elizabeth took a lower approach with a simple leg sweep. It was simple enough for her to deflect Jake's attack and evade Elizabeth's, but before she could counter she felt a knee strike her in the chest followed quickly by a kick to the back. The little shits had planned on her defense and used it to their advantage! The kick to the back had her stumbling forward, and she felt a quick succession of strikes delivered to both her front and back.

This was growing irksome and tiresome fast. She had hoped to be able to simply outdo them in martial combat, but it seemed the old saying was true: two could fend off an attack better than one. She decided it was high time to enact her ability to stop her beloved Jake. Her eyes flashed a brilliant purple, and her hands began to glow the same shade as she activated the runes that littered his body. She was happy he was oblivious to the true purpose of his tattoos, and she would deal with him after Elizabeth. He was charging her when she activated the runes, and he cried out in pain as they began to activate. He fell to his knees in pain, and she walked to him before delivering a strong kick to his jaw that sent him skidding across the floor. With him incapacitated, she turned her focus back to Elizabeth. This was long overdue and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

Beth heard the screams from her friend, and paused her attack to check on him. She watched as he fell to his knees and Goth knocked him across the hall with a single kick; she felt a bit of panic set in as she watched him skid and then writhe in pain. She looked to Goth who stood with her arms crossed and an evil smirk on her face, "What did you do to him?!" she demanded, "This is between you and me, leave him out of this!"

"It was between you and I, but you managed to delude his pretty little head and now it's a battle between all of us," Goth said, "The two of you have grown bothersome, and I will not lose to the likes of you. If the sight of him like this bothers you so much then do something about it."

She looked from Goth to Jake and felt her blood begin to boil as she said, "You heartless bitch!"

"Heartless? Hardly, were I truly heartless I would put an end to him, but instead I've merely rendered him useless so we can finish this. Go ahead, let's see just what you can do all alone; I can feel the hate rolling off of you, now let's see if you can use it."

Beth screamed as she rushed forward in a frenzy. She'd watched Goth beat and belittle her friend for too long, and she couldn't take it for another second. She threw a straight punch, but Goth easily caught it and twisted her wrist before issuing a swift kick to her face. She was staggered, but she didn't fall and quickly recovered to try again. She flew into a furious combination of punches that Goth deflected with ease; she grew frustrated and threw herself up for a surprise dropkick. It connected and staggered the amazon sorceress, and she caught herself on the way down before pushing herself back to her feet. She didn't waste a second as she rushed forward once again and sprung into a high slip over her opponent. On the descent she took hold of the knives in her shoulders and dragged them downwards; Goth cried out as the blades sliced down and exposed her bare back. She charged again, but this time she went into a slide between Goth's legs to try to slice her ankles. She hit her target, but it didn't seem to have much effect outside of causing her to stagger and snarl at her. 

She moved in for an attempt to capitalize and drive her blades into her chest, but she felt a soft yet strong grip latch onto her throat. She was lifted into the air with one hand as Goth began using her free hand to pummel her. Hard and fast punches began to bombard her face as she was held in the air. The blows hurt and she felt herself losing consciousness between the strikes and the lack of air, but she wasn't through yet. She swung her legs back before pushing them forward with as much force as she could muster, and her boots collided with Goth's jaw. She was suddenly dropped to the ground with a thud as Goth stumbled backwards. She panted as her airflow began to return, but she grinned as she saw blood begin to dribble down Goth's lips. Her makeup was smeared and she wiped a hand across her lip before looking at it, "That hurt you insignificant little bitch," Goth growled.

"Good," Beth said as she got to her feet, "It's about time you learned what pain feels like."

Goth felt a new wave of rage well up in her as the pain she felt mixed with the sudden burst of confidence from Elizabeth. She had intended to simply beat her into submission, but as much as she hated to admit it the girl was more formidable than she had thought. She felt a slight bit of begrudging respect for her at her skill, but she would never admit it out loud. It did give her an idea, though, but first she needed to show her the true difference in their powers. "It seems your ego is a bit too big," she said as her eyes began to glow, "What do you say we cut you down to size and show you your true place?"

Beth narrowed her eyes at her, but they quickly widened as waves of fire began to course through her body. She felt like her insides were burning up, and she shut her eyes as the pain continued to grow inside of her. She couldn't hold back the scream that billowed from her lips as the pain proved to be too much for her. Then, just as quickly as it started it ended. She opened her eyes to see just what had happened, but she wasn't prepared for the sight before her. She was eye level with Goth's boot, and for the first time since she came back to reality she felt terror well up inside of her. Goth looked to the size of one of Metropolis' skyscrapers and she was coming for her. She couldn't stop herself from running as the fear set in, but it was no use as she felt herself get swept up in the ironclad grip of the woman who'd wrought so much pain and suffering in her life. The world around her spun and she felt sick as she was brought to the face of her tormentor.

The wicked and sadistic smile mixed with the foul air that surrounded her had Beth suppressing shivers of fear as she looked into the eyes of Goth. Cruel and vindictive amethyst eyes stared down at her as she tried to find the will to speak. She wanted to fight, but at this size what could she really do except wait in terror for the horrors that Goth would dream up. She felt herself suddenly being launched into the air before free falling, and new waves of panic set in as she looked down. She landed in the awaiting palm of her captor before the process repeated as she thought out loud, "Hmm what to do with such a rambunctious and disobedient little toy? The possibilities are endless really, and I do so struggle with these decisions. I could simply drop you to your death, crush you under my boot or any other part of my glorious body for that matter, I could rip those little limbs of yours off, or I could simply eat you. That last one does sound tempting, I haven't eaten in a bit now and am growing quite hungry. Would you like that, Elizabeth, spending your last moment trapped between my jaws? Speak worm!"

Beth couldn't fight the tremors that overtook her as she watched Goth speak. Her breath alone was enough to disorient her, but the idea of being trapped in there before being crushed by her teeth was something she found utterly terrifying. She didn't want to give in to the fear or even answer the demands of this mad woman, but she was in a position that left her with little other options. Fearing what would happen if she remained silent, she began speaking in a trembling voice, "I-I don't want to be eaten," her voice didn't even sound like her own when she heard it, "P-please d-don't e-eat m-m-me."

Goth threw her head back and laughed as she clutched Beth tightly in her fist. Her voice was already like thunder to her ears, but her cackle was both unnerving and deafening as it billowed out of her mouth. She felt her breathing become difficult as Goth tightened her grip on her. She smiled down at her as she brought her other hand and wrapped it around her miniscule body, "Did you listen when my sister or my disciple begged for mercy?!" she said as she began to squeeze tighter on Beth's body, "Did you show mercy to either of them or my friend?! No, no you didn't. Instead, you tortured them before cutting their previous lives short!"

Beth was finding it more and more difficult to breath as her circulation was continually cut off by Goth's merciless hands squeezing her. She managed a single plea that went against everything she currently stood for, "I'm sorry!"

Goth gave another squeeze and she felt like her ribs were going to snap, "Sorry?! Yes you are indeed that, but that doesn't bring any of them back!" she exclaimed before composing herself and loosening her grip, "Fortunately for you, Elizabeth, I am a Goddess who is compassionate and merciful. You acted out of a selfish belief that you were above my laws, though, and turned my beloved against me. For that you must be punished, just as he must be, but don't worry I'm not going to kill you. No, you're far more useful to me alive, but I will show you why I am a Goddess and then you will watch as I discipline my beloved. You've no one to blame but yourself for this; you did this to yourself and to him."

Beth tried to find the words to speak, but she was encased in the grip of fear and Goth in this moment. She watched as Goth removed one of her hands and took her arm between her fingers. She panicked and tried to pull it free, but all of her strength and determination did nothing as Goth began applying pressure. She cried out as she felt her arm being crushed by the simple action before a disgusting crack rang out followed by her pained scream. Her arm fell limp outside of Goth's fist, and it flooded her senses with pain. With a simple twist of two fingers Goth had managed to break her arm, and terror didn't even begin to describe what she felt for what was to come. Goth slammed her hand around the one holding her and began to squeeze harder than before; the pressure was immense and unbearable as she squirmed in her grip. She screamed, "Please stop!" 

Goth laughed a cruel and evil laugh as she ignored her pleas and continued to apply pressure. Beth wasn't sure how much of this she could take, and it felt like any second her head might pop off due to the force being applied. "You brought this on yourself, Elizabeth," Goth said as a final and horrific snap was heard by both women. 

Beth let out a cry of anguish as she felt the sudden snap in her lower back, and she couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes from the pain. She was tossed away like a used toy of sorts before the burning sensation returned. Just as before the pain came on quickly, but unlike before it seemed to only affect the upper part of her body. She landed with a thud back at her normal height beside Jake. She tried to get to her feet, but to her horror her legs refused to work. It was as she had feared, Goth had broken her back and left her paralyzed from the waist down. She forced herself to crawl to her friend who seemed to still be fighting off whatever spell she had cast, "Jake!" she cried out with a strained voice, "Run, I can keep her distracted for you. Please you've-Ahh!"

The feeling of Goth's heel piercing through her hand cut her off as she howled in pain. She ripped her boot from her palm and gave her a rough kick to roll her over, and Beth noticed a metal circle dangling from her hand with a strange purple gem in it. She felt herself being lifted into the air as Goth smiled and began speaking, "Do you know why I love my slave collars so much, Elizabeth? It's because they allow me to control every move of my slaves; I'm going to collar you and make you my puppet! Aren't I such a merciful Goddess?!"

Beth tried to thrash in her grip, but without the use of her legs she could do little more than claw at her arm. Her efforts did nothing to prevent Goth from slapping the collar around her neck, and she watched her eyes begin to glow that familiar and terrifying shade of purple. She released a blood curdling scream as she felt something begin to burrow into the back of her neck. It felt like some sort of parasite was boring its way through her skin and worming its way down her spine. The sensation was both excruciatingly painful and horrific as she felt what could only be described as liquid metal begin to shoot down her spine and spread throughout her body. She was dropped to the ground and began convulsing as the pain somehow increased; it felt like an eternity as the strange substance solidified and fused to her innards. She grit her teeth and tried to look up, but found herself immobilized as the pain began to subside. "What...what did you do to me?!" she demanded as she panted at Goth's feet.

Goth smiled down at her, "I gave you the gift of servitude, now stand," she said and Beth felt her body begin to move on its own at Goth's command, "Good girl, now kneel before me."

Beth fought with everything she had to stop herself from doing as she was told, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't control her movements. She knelt before Goth and said, "Damn you!"

"Such disrespectful language from a slave," Goth chided as she began to walk away and over to Jake, "Stand and watch as I show you the true consequences of your actions. It is as I told you in the beginning: you did this to him."

Beth was forced to watch as Goth brought her boot down on Jake's back. He fell onto his stomach before she took her foot off of him and delivered a hard kick to his ribs. He cried out as he rolled away involuntarily from the blow, but Goth quickly reached down and snatched him up. She held him by the collar of his top, and she grinned at Beth before she began throwing punch after punch to his face. Beth wanted to turn away, to close her eyes, but due to the collar she was forced to watch as her friend was beaten mercilessly. Goth pulled her fist back and fired a sudden surprise punch to his groin which earned a pained howl from him. She dropped him, suddenly, and as he fell she delivered a forceful uppercut followed by reaching out and snatching him back. She spun around and slammed him into the stone floor with a thunderous boom.

She kept her grip on him and dragged him back up. She tossed him up before taking a firm hold of his hair and dragging him down to her knee. He was sent flying backwards, but she wasn't finished with him yet. She slowly walked over to him and began stomping on his chest. Beth watched in horror as her heels punctured various areas of his chest as the symphony of his screams echoed throughout the hall. Goth began moving her stomps from his chest to other parts of his body; his arms, hands, legs, knees, and stomach all received painful stab wounds from her heels. "Stop!" Beth cried out, "He's suffered enough!"

Goth delivered a final stomp as she stepped on and over Jake. He sobbed and rolled in agony as she walked to Beth. She bent down and held out her hand, "Take out your knife," she instructed and Beth couldn't stop herself from producing a large shining blade. She watched as Goth slowly walked back to Jake's pulverized body before she turned back to her, "If you want me to stop, then I want you to beg. My collars allow me to control the actions of the wearer, but not their speech. So, we're going to make this interesting; you can either beg me for his life or I'll make you kill the very person you came to save. Come here."

Beth swallowed as her legs began to move of their own accord at Goth's behest. Her breathing intensified as she approached the pair. She knew Goth wasn't bluffing, and if she truly wanted to save her friend she would have to do as she was told. She hated having to do what Goth wanted and more so begging, but if it would save Jake she would do it. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to block out the image of Jake bleeding on the floor at her feet. "G-goddess," she began as she swallowed what little pride she had left, "P-please Goddess, spare him. Please spare Jake and spare me from having to...to...to kill him. Can you find it in your merciful heart to grant...to grant a...a slave this request?"

She hated herself for speaking so pathetically and so lowly, but she was doing this because of her promise to Jake. She waited in tense silence for Goth to say yes, but her heart sank when she heard her say, "No, kill him and know that his blood is on your hands."

She screamed as she felt her hands begin to rush downward towards her friend. Even after all of that, after everything she had been through she had still lost. She could feel herself breaking as the knife sliced through the air and hurtled towards Jake's heart. "Goddess enough!" a familiar voice called out as Beth felt her arm begin to slow down mid plunge.

She couldn't turn to see what was going on because she wasn't instructed to, but she could hear the ire in Goth's voice as she spoke, "Dilatrix, how dare you tell me when enough is enough. Why would you want to stop this?!"

Dilatrix slowly walked forward and said, "They have suffered enough for now, end this little game so that we may be on with our affairs. I have done as you've asked, and they are eagerly awaiting their turn. Take your boy and I will take Ms. Elizabeth to her rightful place."

Goth glared at her for a moment before sighing and turning back to Beth, "Very well," she said, "But do not make a habit of interrupting me or crossing me, Dilatrix, I value you, but your worth will only go so far against my will. Elizabeth, stop your actions and follow Dilatrix. You are in her care for the moment, but make sure you give your visitors a nice hello. They have missed you quite a bit while they've been away."

Beth felt uneasy relief wash over her as she was permitted to stop herself from killing her friend. She had still lost in the end, but Jake was alive and that counted for something at least. She feared for his safety as Goth bent down to pick him up and carry him away. Her eyes found the form of Dilatrix standing by patiently, and she walked up to the woman as she had been commanded to. She began following her without thinking as the collar continued to take control of her body. She sighed as she was led down the familiar staircase to the dungeons below, "Thank you for stopping that. I'm sorry I couldn't give you the ending you wanted."

Dilatrix didn't turn back to her as they descended down the staircase, "It was nothing other than what was meant to be, and do not apologize my dear. This isn't the end, but rather merely the beginning of what is to come. Keep your will strong and wits about you down here, but keep an open mind to new possibilities should they arise. You never know where you may end up, and though your journey may seem twisted it may make sense to some. Until we speak again, Elizabeth, I'm afraid that for now you must allow them to restrain you, but feel free to use your fingers and exercise that mouth of yours should the need arise."

Dilatrix opened the door to the cell, and Beth felt a cold chill run down her spine. There awaiting her were two people she had hoped to never see again: Aurora and Pamela stood in the dimly lit room. Pamela stood off looking surprisingly impassive as she walked herself to the wall and began attempting to shackle herself. She struggled until Pamela approached and finished locking her in before leaning in and whispering, "Good to see you again, Kitten, miss me?" before stepping away.

She felt a mixture of fear and panic at the sight of the blonde from her strange visions. Was this another illusion? If so, then why was Aurora here? She tried to focus on something, anything to keep her grounded in the moment, and her eyes landed on the strange gaze Pamela sported. It was almost like the night of her death, but there was something else behind those eyes that she couldn't place. Her thoughts were interrupted and her focus shifted to the pain that came from her leg as Aurora delivered a strike that shattered her kneecap. She cried out and was forced to look into Aurora's eyes as she held her face, "I am going to enjoy every second of this, you little cunt," she said with malice dripping in her tone, "Goth gave us a deal that whoever can break that shitty little will of yours gets to keep you. I'm going to enjoy breaking you in before taking you back to my room and showing you what those hooks are really for."

Beth fought through the pain that coursed through her arm and now knee as she glared at Aurora. Her breathing was heavy, but she wouldn't give this sadist the joy of seeing her fear. "Do your worst, you psychotic bitch," Beth said through gritted teeth.

"Oh I intend to," Aurora said before turning to Pamela, "You sure you're okay with me having first dibs?" Pamela nodded before turning to leave with a silent wave of her hand, "Your loss, I'll have this little worm begging and cleaning my feet before the hour is up."

Beth stared off at the blonde as she left without a word, but when the door shut the blows began. She was beat without mercy and without warning, but she wouldn't give in. She couldn't, not after everything that she had been through. As the beating turned to broken bones, bloody cuts, burns, and blurred vision she tried to let her mind wander. It was nearly impossible, but she couldn't help but wonder what Dilatrix meant. If this wasn't the end but rather a beginning, then what was to come? She pondered this between the moments of extreme agony Aurora inflicted throughout her torture. It was the final thought, as well, just before she blacked out from the pain of the first of many sessions with Aurora and the others.


	8. Epilogue

"You're sure this will work?" Pamela asked as she stood outside of the cell where Beth was being held. The sounds of her screams could be heard even through the thick door and stone walls as Aurora continued to work on breaking her. It had even four days since she was brought down, and Pamela still hadn't taken a turn at breaking the girl. She stood across from Dilatrix who was waiting for a call to enter the room, and heal Beth for more torture. "I haven't laid a finger on her, and yet you say that she'll simply submit at my request. How exactly is that supposed to work?"

Dilatrix gave the blonde a small smile before asking, "Do you not trust me?"

Pamela looked off in thought at the sorceress' question. She had been studying under her off and on prior to her own death, and she had been the one to bring her back to life. She respected the chronomancer, but trust was something that was difficult to earn. Still, she hadn't lied to her yet and she had come to her on this matter upon her revival, "It may be a mistake," Pamela admitted, "But I do trust your words. I desire her submission, though, and Aurora has been at her for days. Why would she give herself to me just for a promise she has no reason to trust?"

"The fact that Aurora has been after her nonstop is precisely why she will submit to you," Dilatrix pointed out, "If you come to her with words of protection rather than promises of suffering she will be inclined to listen, but if you approach her with malice she will continue to resist. Elizabeth is strong and she will still fight you even if she submits, but she is holding onto the possibility of some form of freedom. She does not understand the freedom that can come from submission, and rightfully so given what she's seen of it to this point. You desire her for yourself, but more than that there is something that even you do not understand with this pull you feel toward her. Act on your intuition and feelings and she will come around, but maintain an air of distance and she will continually pull away. Do or do not, the choice is yours, but when the time comes I will be here to enact what needs to be done."

Pamela was silent as she considered the woman's words. She wished she would speak plainly for once, but this was something that seemed to go against her mysterious nature. She still didn't understand why she felt the need to own the little killer behind the door, but it was a desire she couldn't resist. If this was a guaranteed way to get what she wanted then she would take it, even if she had her doubts. She gave a simple nod as she began considering the best way to approach Beth with such an offer, and she tried her best to tune out the anguished cries that continued to echo from behind the door. She would have to wait until Aurora grew tired before she could make her move.

Beth was in agony as her fingers were continually twisted and mangled by the sadistic amazon before her. She was having a hard time keeping track of time without any clocks or natural lighting in the room, but she guesstimate that it had been a few days since her defeat. She had remained strong willed despite the cries of pain that she released seemingly day and night. Aurora had been her primary visitor with the only exception being Nastia, and between the two she felt a mix of disgust and hatred. She hadn't seen Pamela since she had been brought down here, but she figured she was either uninterested or biding her time. Aurora had been here with this visit for hours now, and as her last finger was snapped and disfigured she shot her a wicked grin. "Had enough yet, you little worm?" Aurora asked as she stepped back and dropped the pliers she had been using.

In hindsight, Beth almost regretted flipping the amazon off as her hands now ached in unimaginable ways. Almost was the key word in that sentence as she would have done it again in a heartbeat; she was grateful Dilatrix had given her free reign of her fingers upon her arrival, but that did little to stop the pain. Beth panted as she muttered a defiant and tough look before spitting at Aurora, "Go fuck yourself," she said.

This was becoming the norm for her; Aurora would show up and beat her senseless or until she blacked out, and then she would demand her submission. Time and again Beth refused to give herself to such a monster, and today was no exception to that. Aurora let out a roar of rage as she began simply beating Beth with her bare fists. The strikes were hard and fast as they rained down on her, and she wished she had some way of fighting back against the behemoth. She could do little more than take the punches as they slammed into her face, torso, and throat. "Why. Won't. You. Break?!" Aurora screamed as she continued her beating before pulling back and grabbing Beth's head to slam into the stone wall.

Beth could feel the concussion forming in her head as everything seemed to take on an underwater feeling. She shook off the pain in an attempt to taunt her tormentor again, "Maybe it's because you're not good at your job, or maybe it's because I'm stronger than you. Whatever the case, I'll say it again: Go. Fuck. Yourself."

Aurora let out a shaky and angered breath as she resumed her beating with renewed vigor. This time, however, she decided to up her anti by focusing on her bones and joints. She took hold of Beth's arm that had been healed thanks to Dilatrix and snapped it with ease. Instead of letting it fall and moving on, she decided to break it in multiple places; she dislocated it from her shoulder, snapped her wrist, and then shattered her elbow before moving to the next one. The process repeated and Beth screamed in pain as she worked her way through her other arm and moved to her legs. The pain was unending and with no reprieve as she continued at blinding speed; she finished by grabbing her ankles and twisting them to an unnatural angle. Beth couldn't fight the tears that streamed down her face, but she held onto her confident smirk to relay that she wasn't ready to submit. Aurora cried out again as she snatched a knife from the nearby table, and she began cutting her without a care. Blood spilled out of various spots on her including at one point her face as Aurora gave her a nasty gash on her right cheek. She screamed as she drove the blade into her shoulder before pulling back. Aurora panted as she stepped back, "Not so fucking tough now are you?" she asked with a sadistic grin.

Beth had her head down, but raised to flash her a hateful grin, "Still tougher than you, you ugly cunt," she said before her head fell back down.

Aurora huffed and threw a final punch that knocked her head back into the wall behind her. If she didn't have a concussion before, she certainly did now. She was dazed and close to blacking out again, but she heard Aurora stomp off out of frustration. The only thing that kept her going down here was knowing that whatever she was enduring was nothing compared to Jake. She felt like she deserved the punishments simply because of the fate he had condemned him to. She had experienced firsthand just how cruel Goth could be when she wanted to be, and she was genuinely afraid for her friend. Still, she took some pride in the fact that even bound she could still get under the skin of people like Aurora. 

Pamela was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed when the door to Beth's cell was flung open. Aurora marched out red faced and clearly annoyed. She stormed past her and Dilatrix and called back, "Stubborn little bitch is all yours!"

Pamela quirked an eyebrow at her as she stomped up the stairs. She looked to Dilatrix who gave her a nod before she pushed herself off the wall and entered the cell. She tried to remain uninterested and impassive as she walked in to keep up appearances, but it was difficult to do when she saw the state Beth was in. She was still chained to the wall with her collar on, but her body looked mangled in twisted and sickening ways. She was strung up by her arms, but if it weren't for the chains she would have fallen into a painful heap on the floor. Her legs were in a disgusting state with the kneecaps swollen and distorted, and she noted the copious cuts that littered her skin. She approached slowly with her arms placed behind her back.

Beth heard the footsteps of her next visitor, and she looked up to see Pamela approaching her. She expected Nastia or maybe another visit from Aurora, but the gaze of the platinum blonde before her was an unexpected sight. She grit her teeth and asked, "What do you want? Come to mock me or have you come for payback?"

Her voice was hoarse, most likely from the screaming she had been doing, and for reasons she couldn't, explain it pulled at Pamela's heartstrings. Seeing the girl in this state was a sight to behold and one that she didn't enjoy. She should have relished her fate considering what she had done to her, but the memory of her pain from that night had haunted her even in death. The girl was strong willed to say the least, but it was an act to hide the fact that she was fighting to keep from being buried under her own anguish. She inhaled as she began to pace in front of her, "I believe the last time we met our positions were reversed," she said, "I was the one bound and at your mercy, but my how the tables seemed to have turned. Fortunately for you, I've come to offer you a deal of sorts."

Beth narrowed her eyes at her as she paced and spoke. This sounded like Goth claiming to be merciful, and she would be damned if she was going to fall for it. "Get bent," she rasped out, "I'm not interested in anything you have to offer."

Pamela stopped and looked at her. She tilted her head as she approached, "So quick to make up your mind without hearing what I have to say," she said as she reached a hand up to brush her hair out of her face. She stopped short when she saw Beth flinch in anticipation of an attack, "You needn't be afraid of me, not right now anyways. I've merely come to talk if you're willing to listen."

Beth regarded her with a curious look. Her cold and tired blue eyes stared deep into mysterious and confident amethyst set before her, and her thoughts turned back to Dilatrix and her words before entering her cell. She was silent for a moment before finally saying, "Fine, I'll hear you out. Not like I have anything better to do anyways."

Pamela gave her a small smile that sent an odd feeling through her as she reached up and brushed some of her hair from her face. Her touch was soft and gentle in comparison to the treatment she'd had thus far, "There's a good girl," Pamela said as she pulled her hand back, "I've come with a simple arrangement for you, and all you need to do is agree and obey. I will protect you from the others of this castle, Aurora and Nastia specifically, but in exchange you agree to be mine and mine alone. You will be allowed to leave this dreary cell, and I will have Dilatrix heal your wounds one final time. You'll stay with me in my quarters and follow my commands, whatever they may be, but you must first give me your submission."

Beth stared at her for a moment before looking away and asking, "So you want me to be your slave, is that it?"

Pamela shook her head and placed a hand under her chin, "Not quite, I want you to be my pet," she said, "I will take care of you and you will have limited freedom in your time here, and it certainly beats having to worry about Aurora. What do you say?"

Beth chewed on the inside of her cheek as she considered her question. Could she really just give herself over to someone she had brutally tortured and murdered? Who was to say she wouldn't want to return the favor at some point? This could have just been an act to get her to give in, but what if it wasn't? Her head began to hurt as she felt herself beginning to slip into a haze. The memory of Goth's magic began to worm its way into her brain and the concussion she was sure she had didn't help. She tried to remain focused on the conversation and finally asked, "Why?"

Pamela raised an eyebrow at the chained girl. She hadn't expected that. She had honestly expected either an outright refusal or some obscenity to be flung at her. "Why?" she repeated, "Because I find you...intriguing and I desire to have you for myself. I'm not keen on sharing my things and that would go for you as well. I can feel the calamity going on in that pretty little head of yours, Kitten, you have my word that this is no trick. Submit to me and I will keep you safe; I have no interest in harming you outside of punishing any disobedience you show, but that would be for your own good and brought on by yourself."

Beth furrowed her brow at Pamela. Was she serious? She still felt a bit unsure of whether or not to trust her, so she asked, "You expect me to believe that Goth, who fucking hates me, is going to allow me to belong to just you? Aurora is her best friend and I doubt she would keep her from having her fun."

"A reasonable doubt," Pamela said as she walked closer to her, "If I can bring her here to prove it to you, would you then submit to me?"

Beth was more skeptical about this now than ever. Goth hadn't bothered with her since the night of her defeat, so she surely wouldn't be bothered now to come down here. Beth knew that in Goth's eyes she was beneath her. "I doubt she'll waste her time with me," Beth admitted and looked away, "I'm not exactly worth much to her or anyone these days."

Pamela felt her heartstrings receive another pull at the girl's words. For all of her strength and bravado, she was still a simple girl with feelings of weakness and inadequacy. This was the first time she had actually seen or heard it in Beth's voice, but she supposed that was to be expected given the details of her battle with Goth she had heard and the suffering she had been enduring. She sighed as she made an uncharacteristic decision to cup the other girl's chin and pull her to look at her, "You are worth something to me, Kitten," she said while staring into her eyes, "I will not waste my time or Goth's unless you give me your word to submit if I can prove to you that my word is true. Yes or no, do we have an accord?"

Beth stared into those amethyst eyes of Pamela's in confusion. She thought she saw a hint of compassion and sincerity in them, but she couldn't be sure. She finally asked, "If I agree to this, can you get this collar off of me and restore my legs?"

Pamela released her face and looked back to Dilatrix who gave a nod. She turned back to Beth and smirked, "I can't promise that right away, but it is possible," she said, "I will speak with Goth about it and see what she says, but I believe Dilatrix can reverse these effects if she agrees. Is that a yes, then?"

Beth decided it would be better than the alternative of being passed around Goth's court. She would still belong to Pamela, and while she didn't know what that would entail it had to be better than the other two. She nodded saying, "If she agrees and you can bring her here, then yes I'll do it."

Pamela smiled as she said, "Good girl, now hold still," Beth was confused until she felt a sudden pain in her shoulder as Pamela removed the knife from it, "My apologies, Kitten, it would have had to come out eventually. Dilatrix, would you be so kind as to tend to her wounds?"

Beth watched as Pamela walked back to the door and left. She wondered if this was a good idea or not; in truth she really wasn't sure about any of this. She was about to completely give herself over the whims of another woman and a disciple of the Goth Goddess herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Dilatrix's heels drawing closer. She had almost forgotten the woman was in the room with her, "Make the wise choice, Elizabeth, your fate is in your own hands this evening," she said as she began to weave the flow of time around her injuries, "Trust is something that is earned, and you have yet to earn much here outside of contempt. The first step is usually the most difficult and often requires a leap of faith."

Beth winced as she felt her limbs begin to reset themselves. The feeling was strange and she hadn't quite gotten used to it. "Can you, for once, speak without sounding like a damn fortune cookie?" she asked and earned a smile from the sorceress, "Fuck sake, just tell me what to do."

She moved on to her hands as she said, "Therein lies the answer to your dilemma."

"So, that's a no on both accounts?" Beth asked, earning little more than a grin from her, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

"That remains to be seen and depends on your next move."

Pamela had headed upstairs to speak with her Goddess and mentor. She knew it was risky to disturb her while she worked with Jake, but she needed to do so in order to ascertain Beth's submission. She currently stood outside of Goth's door to her personal dungeon, and she listened for a moment before knocking. The sounds of pained cries followed quickly by the crack of a whip and Goth's voice reciting her scripture. She almost felt bad for the poor boy, but he had brought this on himself. She took a deep breath and knocked on the thick wooden door. The sounds stopped and after a moment the door opened to reveal her Goddess with a rather annoyed face that softened upon seeing her student, "Pamela," she said surprised, "Why have you interrupted the discipline of my beloved Raven?"

Pamela bowed before her and said, "My deepest apologies, Goddess, I hate to disturb you, but I have a bit of a favor to ask of you. Might you be inclined to lend me your ear?"

Goth studied her for a moment before stepping aside and ushering her into the room, "What kind of Goddess would I be to deny such a humble request?" she asked, "Come in and tell me what you require."

Pamela nodded her thanks and entered the room. The smell of blood mixed with Goth's own odors filled the room and hit her hard as she crossed the threshold. She noticed Jake chained to a far wall with a myriad of cuts, bruises, whelps, and gashes covering his body. She wondered if he was even alive, but a slow rise and fall of his chest answered her question. Seeing him like this sent a shiver down her spine; she knew of the wrath of her Goddess, but seeing it first hand was something else. His eyes opened to see her and he quickly cast his gaze downward as a tremor shot through him; she could feel his fear skyrocket at her presence, what was he so afraid of? Had Goth decided to involve the other members of the court in his punishment? She pushed the questions away and took a seat on a nearby stool to address her Goddess, "It is about Elizabeth," she said and earned a look that was both disgusted and interested, "I believe I have her ready to submit to me, but I require your presence and permission first."

Goth looked at her curiously for a moment before speaking, "I must admit, I thought Aurora would be the one to break her not you. No offense, Pamela, but Aurora's tactics are unique and have broken the will of many men and women. What is it that you need permission for and why would you require my presence?"

This was the part she was nervous about. She wasn't worried about requesting ownership over Beth, but asking her to remove the collar was another story. "I-I have two things to request permission on, my Goddess," she began, "The first is simple, I would like to ensure that she will belong to me solely. I do not wish to share her with any of the court."

"That is easily doable, but I would like to know why you want her to yourself," Goth said.

Pamela began to grip the hem of her dress and fiddle with it as she spoke, "I...have a strong desire to make her into my pet as you have Jake. I see what you have with him, and I confess, I want that for myself. I've never been one to share my things and I'm not inclined to start now. Aurora has tried her hardest and failed, but in a matter of minutes I've managed to convince her to give herself to me."

Goth nodded in understanding, "You wish to have full possession of her," she clarified, "I can certainly understand that, but I was unaware you held any feelings for Elizabeth. Regardless, I can allow that. What else is that you need from me? You have also yet to explain why you need me to accompany you."

Pamela took a deep breath before speaking, "I prefer women to men, they are much more...entertaining and fun to play with. She is afraid that without hearing it from your own lips that I will be unable to uphold my word."

"That is understandable," Goth said, "She is right to be afraid and I suppose I can spare a moment to allow my beloved to revel in his punishment. I need to speak with Dilatrix anyways, now what is your second request?"

Pamela closed her eyes as she said, "I would like to request that you remove her collar and allow Dilatrix to heal her completely. I realize this is something unheard of and may not be to your liking, but I believe I can control her without the collar."

She opened her eyes to see a look of surprise on her Goddess. She could sense her hesitation at the request, but she didn't sense any rage so that was a good sign. Goth took a seat on the bed that occupied the room before she began speaking, "You realize that I collared her because she is too wild and harbors hate for each of us? Why would you want to risk her getting loose?"

"If I am to truly have her serve me then I need to ensure she does it of her own accord," Pamela began as she looked into her Goddess' eyes, "I realize there is a great risk in this, but I am willing to take full responsibility if anything goes wrong and she tries anything."

Goth stared at her for a time before rising from her seat and pacing the room. Her expression was unreadable and it made her a bit nervous. Finally she began to speak, "So you are willing to accept the consequences if she decides to go against me? This would mean that should she choose to take another stand not only would she forfeit her life, but you would be reduced to the status of a mere slave. You would be no better than one of my thralls and it is unlikely that you would ever regain your place amongst the court, do you understand this?"

Pamela considered her words carefully, and in truth she was a little concerned hearing them. She certainly didn't want to lose not only her status but her freewill as well, but she considered the words Dilatrix had said and decided she had to accept the terms. "I understand, Goddess," she said,"I am willing to accept these terms and punishment should the need arise, but I believe Elizabeth will obey me."

"Very well then," Goth said, "She will have to pledge herself to me and you before I release her to you. If she can do this with respect then I will remove the collar and give her to you. Now, I have to finish up with my beloved before I make my appearance. Go and prepare your pet."

Pamela nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. She would need to ensure that Beth would pledge herself if she were to take full possession of her, but the task didn't seem to be too difficult. She hoped that her new pet's rebellious nature wouldn't get the better of her. "Thank you, my Goddess, you are too kind," she said as she left the room. She spared a final glance at Jake and felt yet another pang of pity for him. She told herself that he had brought this on himself, but the sight of him still twisted her stomach.

Beth had been healed and was back to simply dangling from the dungeon wall. She had to piss, but without a way down she was reduced to soiling herself. She really hated the fact that she was getting used to this almost as much as the act itself. The warm liquid raced down her leg and produced yet another stain on her pants. Being able to use an actual toilet would be at least one benefit to submitting to Pamela, surely the woman wouldn't deny her the use of a bathroom. As she finished wetting herself the door opened to reveal her wouldbe owner; she mentally cursed at her timing and said, "Kind of wish you would have either waited or come back sooner."

Pamela entered the cell and closed the door behind her. She stared at her curiously before the scent of urine hit her, and she closed her eyes as understanding set in. She hadn't considered the fact that Beth didn't have access to a bathroom and she felt more than a little sorry for her. She approached and said, "It's alright, Kitten, you can't fight nature. I have some good news for you, though. Goth has agreed to release you into my care and remove your collar, but you must pledge yourself to me and to her will when she arrives."

Beth felt a sliver of hope at the prospect of being released that was quickly swept away as she realized what this meant. She would be freed from one prison only to be released into the custody of a member of Goth's court. Still, she would have her collar removed and that was something to look forward to. "How the hell did you manage to talk her into removing my collar?" she asked.

Pamela debated on telling her the truth or not, but decided to do so and keep it vague, "The terms of my agreement with our Goddess are not important, but I will say that should you decide to go rogue and against her or myself that you won't be the only one suffering."

Beth stared at her in disbelief. Pamela had agreed to some kind of deal with Goth that put her at risk just to get her collar removed. She couldn't believe that she would be willing to accept such a deal for her. She took a deep breath and asked, "What do I have to say?"

Pamela smiled at her as she replied, "Simply inform her of your willingness to submit and serve me, and pledge your talents and services to her cause. Do so in a respectful manner and she will give you completely to me."

Beth nodded and blushed as she asked her next question, "Uhm...after this can I...can I please take a shower or is that not allowed?"

Pamela laughed a hearty and honest laugh at her question, "I will allow it although I may supervise it," she said, "I can't have my pet smelling of urine and the like. Now, some ground rules for us before our Goddess arrives. You will address me as mistress unless I allow you to speak freely or informally, you will obey my every command and service me whenever the need arises, and you will be sharing my bed with me nightly. I will allow the occasional slip up and forgive some of your hesitations, but ultimately these rules are not to be broken. Do I make myself clear?"

Beth took in her words and briefly considered rejecting them, but then she remembered that in doing so she would be left here to rot. She sighed in defeat before saying, "Yes," she received a pointed look for Pamela and quickly amended, "Yes mistress. Uhm...I-I've never really...been with a woman before on this level. I'm not saying no, but this is all new to me."

Pamela's smile widened at Beth's words. She did so enjoy converting a straight girl to her whims, and the fact that Beth was inexperienced with women made this all the sweeter. She brushed a hand across her face and earned a blush from her pet, "You needn't worry, Kitten, I am patient and will teach you what to do. You're worried that because this is new to you that I may throw you away or grow frustrated, but I assure you that will not happen. I want you and I will have you, no matter how long it takes."

Beth wasn't sure how to feel about her words. On the one hand it was a little reassuring, but on the other it really made it seem like she didn't have a choice. She supposed that in the end she really didn't. She felt a small and gentle scratch behind her ears, and inadvertently found herself leaning into it. Her ears were a sensitive spot that few people knew about, but it seemed Pamela had found it rather quickly and easily. She pulled away and glared at the grinning woman in front of her. She blushed as she said, "Don't do that!"

"I will do what I please, my pet," Pamela said as she reached up and resumed her scratching for a moment before pulling back, "Your reaction to that is rather...cute and becoming of you Kitten. I will forgive your informality this time, but you will watch your tone with me."

Beth bit her lip and meekly apologized, "I-sorry mistress, that's just a really sensitive spot."

"One I intend to make good use of," she said, "I forgive you, Kitten."

The door to the cell swung open as Goth strode into the room with Dilatrix in tow. Beth glared at the amazon before looking to Pamela who shot her a look of warning. She tried her best to remove the glare, but she'd always had a bit of RBF that made it difficult. She managed to simply watch as Goth approached her, "Elizabeth, I see you've made a mess of yourself," she taunted as she looked to the piss stain on her trousers, "How far you've fallen, eh? I understand that you've decided to give yourself to Pamela, is this true?"

Pamela looked at Beth with an expecting stare as she began to speak carefully, "Y-yes Goddess. Mistress has agreed to take me in and protect me from...others that would want to hurt me. I have agreed to serve her and want to, but she mentioned that you might remove my collar. Would you be willing to find it in your merciful heart, Goddess?"

Goth laughed at the change in the girl before her, "Begging becomes you, Elizabeth," she said, "I see you've learned some respect in your time here. I can remove your collar and allow Dilatrix to heal you, but only if you swear your allegiance to me and to your new mistress."

Beth felt her soul cry out as Goth mocked her. She hated the woman before her with such passion that she almost forgot the deal that had been struck. She felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Pamela staring at her with a look of…concern? She sighed as she remembered the terms of her agreement and said, "I am willing to use any and all of my talents to benefit your cause and to glorify my mistress. If I fail I am willing to accept whatever punishment she deems appropriate. I am not so stupid as to try and go against you a second time, Goddess."

Goth looked to Pamela and addressed her, "I'm impressed that you've managed to convince her in such a short amount of time," she motioned to Dilatrix before turning back to Beth, "Very well, I will remove your collar and allow Dilatrix to restore your ability to walk. Do not make me regret this, Elizabeth, or you will pay dearly for it, you both will."

Pamela undid her shackles and she fell to the ground. Her legs and arms were both sore from dangling for so long, but she rolled her wrists as she enjoyed the feeling of being able to move her arms. She shot Pamela a thankful smile as Dilatrix approached. "Hold still," she warned, "This is going to be rather...unpleasant."

She felt the chronomancer begin to bend the flow of time around her before the familiar feeling of the collar around her neck returned. The feeling was somehow worse than before as the strange substance began to retract from her and work its way out. She screamed as she felt the steel like substance liquify and race back up her spine. The feeling of a large insect or worm of sorts burrowing outward from her neck made her feel sick to her stomach. Her skin crawled as the agony of the substance began filling the gem on the front of the collar before it released itself from her neck. She fell forward as her legs once more became useless, but she slowly felt her back bones begin to shift around. The sensations from her vertebrae resetting themselves weren't much better than that of the collar, and the feelings brought back memories of the events only a few days ago. 

After what felt like an eternity she felt all the pain subside. She'd began crying at some point during all of it without realizing it, and she looked to the face of her new mistress who placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before helping her stand. It felt strange to be able to move freely again and she considered making an offensive move, but reminded herself that it would be futile. Besides, she had been freed because Pamela had put herself on the line for her and she wouldn't jeopardize the woman's fate. She looked to Goth before kneeling before her and saying," Thank you, Goddess."

Goth waved her off as she turned to leave, "You're very welcome, Elizabeth, do not forget that it is because of me that you walk again. Cross me and I will take more than just your legs next time. Enjoy your pet Pamela."

Dilatrix followed Goth out of the room and gave the women a nod of approval before leaving them alone. Pamela helped Beth up and led her out of the cell, "Come, let's get you cleaned up and out of those filthy clothes," she said.

Beth didn't object and silently followed her out of her cell. They walked up the stairs and she was led through the castle halls to her new room. She hadn't explored the castle in her haste to escape last time and she tried to take note of various things, but found her head spinning with all the different things and rooms. They finally reached a thick wooden door that she assumed was Pamela's. They entered in and she breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you mistress."

"You're welcome, Kitten, now strip out of those clothes and let's get you in the shower. Your first lesson begins now," Pamela said before yanking her clothes off.

"Hey I can undress myself!" Beth said as she flushed with embarrassment and quickly corrected herself, "I mean, mistress I can remove my clothes if you'll just start the shower?"

Pamela smiled at her pet. She was learning quickly and the upward inflection in her voice was endearing. She could tell that she wanted to follow the rules, but that she would have problems with them at the same time. It would make for a much more fun and eventful time breaking her in. She relented and allowed her to undress herself as she walked off to the direction of the shower, "There's a proper pet, don't keep me waiting in here."

Beth watched as Pamela began removing her dress and clothes while she walked off. Her face went red and redder still when she caught herself staring after the blonde. She shook off the embarrassment and finished removing her clothes, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" she asked herself as she walked off to join her mistress.

The shower had been an...eventful one to say the least. Pamela had allowed Beth to wash herself clean, but immediately after that had pinned her to the walls of said shower. Beth had to fight her instincts as she felt her mistress kiss, nip, and lick at her flesh while fondling her body. She had to fight a new set of instincts when she felt Pamela slip her fingers inside of her, and it was a fight she didn't fare well in. It hadn't taken long for her to climax and melt into the taller woman's arms, and now that she was out and dry she was exhausted. She had been surprised at how much she enjoyed the attention, but it had been a night full of surprises. Despite her exhaustion, she stood by the bed awaiting some kind of order or instruction as Pamela crawled into bed. "Kitten," she purred, "If you're waiting for me to give you a command then I will. Get into bed and lay close to me; you've had a long set of days and I want you well rested for your first day of training tomorrow."

Beth blinked in surprise, but she wasn't going to argue with her. She did as she was told and crawled under the covers before settling herself in next to Pamela. She felt some anxiety as she began to relax; the little sleep she had gotten while in the dungeon hadn't been good. It wasn't because of her position, but was instead because of her dreams or rather nightmares. She would relive the battle with Goth only to find herself being eaten alive, crushed under her boot, killing her best friend, or even simply reliving the illusions she had faced. Her breathing began to increase as a panic set in.

Pamela noticed the sudden change in her pet's demeanor and emotions as she laid down. She was afraid, no more than that she was terrified. She wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close to her chest and gently shushed her, "Kitten, relax I am here and I will keep you safe. You have nothing to fear so long as I am with you."

It was strange how her mistress' simple words and actions could have such an effect on her. She closed her eyes and listened to Pamela's heartbeat as she regulated her breathing. There was something oddly soothing about the woman she'd agreed to serve, but for the life of her she couldn't figure it out. She opened her eyes and said, "I-I'm sorry mistress. I just...I haven't been sleeping well lately and I get nervous when the time comes."

Pamela began to stroke her hair before gently kissing the top of her head. She didn't understand where the need to comfort the girl in her arms came from, but there was something about her that she found captivating. She would do her best to train, condition, and protect her from anything both physical and mental so long as she was able. It would take time, but she hadn't been lying when she said she was a patient woman. "You have nothing to apologize for, Kitten," she said gently as she began to lightly rub the small of her back, "Terror gets the best of everyone sometimes, but so long as I am with you, you have nothing to be afraid of. I know you're tired after our little activity, so let's try to get some sleep shall we?"

Beth nodded and curled herself up next to her mistress. She hadn't been sure if this was the right decision and she still wasn't completely sure, but in this moment it felt like it might have been. She let the rhythmic heartbeat of her mistress and the rise and fall of her chest lull her into a deep sleep. She found herself floating in an empty void with nothing around her, no visions of horrors or experiences haunted her this night. She simply drifted in an inky blackness that was pervaded by a feeling of serenity that came from being close to her mistress. Her last thought before falling into such a deep sleep was that of her now deceased friend's taunting about how she would find a girl who liked her whole tough girl persona. She guessed that even a mad woman such as Alexis could be right once in a while, but she wouldn't have guessed it back then. She could barely believe it now even as she found herself relaxed and asleep in the arms of her naked mistress. She wasn't sure what the future held for her, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. She could only hope that would be true and time would tell if it were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here we have the final installment of The Raven Part 1! The ending wasn't exactly what most would consider happy, but it does set it up for the sequel. More over, this story will be branching into roughly six other novellas! I realize, before anyone points it out, that Beth being with Pam on any kind of romantic level may seem twisted, but if you've made it this far then you should be aware of how twisted this story is. The events of chapter 4 were foreshadowing for this bit and many more to come. I have some snippets I've come up with that won't make the cut or will be edited for future installments that I may end up posting here while we continue to work on the second part. Please, let me know what you think and thank you for reading.


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